WATCH: Black Women In Hollywood: Halle Bailey Acceptance Speech

Watch as actress, singer &amp; &#039;Black Women In Hollywood honoree Halle Bailey gives her acceptance speech.

Transcript

00:00 This is such a beautiful room to be in. I look out into your faces and I see myself,

00:07 and that for me is a really, really proud moment. But we didn't get here overnight, right?

00:13 For decades, those that came before us have had it rougher, tougher, harsher, and have been dragged

00:22 over the jagged rocks of a petrified and bouldered shoreline to make this room not just a possibility

00:29 but a dream fulfilled for many of us. And Essence, oh sweet Essence, you have been the steady light

00:37 in the fog guiding us to safety. And sometimes on a very good day, a day like today, we catch a whiff

00:45 of that sweet aroma of success, that feeling of, "Look family, we made it!" But we know,

00:54 because we are Black women, that sweet feeling can change as quickly as the direction of the wind.

01:00 We are Black women in entertainment, and although we signed up for the challenges of the spotlight,

01:07 in this current climate, that spotlight burns brighter, hotter, and uninterrupted,

01:14 whereas the scrutiny of its magnification leaves no concealment.

01:20 Yeah, I've learned from that spotlight over the past eight years. I've also, if I'm being honest,

01:28 been burned by it too, as we all have. For me, I acutely became aware of it during one of my

01:36 proudest moments, being cast as Ariel in The Little Mermaid. That's when I discovered two

01:42 things about being Black in Hollywood. It can be unfair, and it can expose you to criticism

01:50 just for being you. Not because you're a bad actor, or you've given a poor performance,

01:55 but just because you look like you do. And at the same time, I learned that I had the power

02:02 to be a positive influence for the next generation. Thank you. That I could inspire

02:11 young Black and brown girls in every country and on every continent. If they could see it,

02:18 see me, then they could see themselves. Excuse me. That's anything in this world.

02:24 Thank you. What was one of the biggest highlights of my life, and to be real,

02:33 one of the biggest challenges too, cannot compare to the biggest joy of my life,

02:39 and that was becoming a mom to my perfect little angel, Halo.

02:44 Halo was my gift. He is the greatest blessing, and I had no obligation to expose him,

02:57 me, or my family to that unyielding spotlight. Yeah.

03:05 Did criticisms come? Of course they did. But with the state of the world and the place it is in,

03:12 with men trying to force their will on our bodies and our reproductive rights,

03:16 no one on social media, and for damn sure, no one on the planet was going to tell me what to do with

03:23 my body or what to share with the world. Yeah. Every woman in the world has that right to choose

03:32 what to do with their bodies and what to share with anyone or everyone. So thank you. Thank you

03:39 to some of the strong women in my life, like my beautiful sister standing here on the stage with

03:43 me for setting examples in resilience, confidence, and independence. Thank you to Beyonce and Miss

03:51 Tina Knowles. Thank you for taking a chance on two young girls from Atlanta, Georgia.

03:59 Thank you to all of the women in my family, starting with my grandmothers, my mother,

04:04 my aunties, my godmother, and my two beautiful sisters, Chloe and Sky.

04:09 And as you all know, my work in my life would be very different if not for Chloe.

04:15 You are the one, my sister, my strength and my rock. So standing here today with all of you,

04:24 not just as an actress, but as a woman and now as a mom, I am clearer now, more than ever,

04:30 what it means to be in this room. Sorry. The colossal love and support in this room held me

04:39 up and continues to give me strength. You had my back. You told the world she is ours and we are

04:46 hers. Don't mess with us. And I am so grateful for that. Thank you. I stand on your shoulders

04:56 and the shoulders of great women who are no longer in this room. If we don't choose joy,

05:01 we have nothing, and I will forever choose joy. So thank you so much. I love you so much.