WATCH: Black Women In Hollywood: Kathryn Busby Acceptance Speech

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Watch as television executive &amp; &#039;Black Women In Hollywood honoree Kathryn Busby delivers her acceptance speech.

Transcript

00:00 [MUSIC]

00:06 You have no idea how full my heart is at this moment in time.

00:13 [APPLAUSE]

00:15 They can't tell you how beautiful this is unless you're in this room.

00:21 Anyway, hello black women in Hollywood, I'm so happy.

00:24 [APPLAUSE]

00:27 I'm thrilled to be here at this glorious luncheon where I get to

00:33 experience our collective excellence, where I get to feel the love and

00:39 the inspiration.

00:41 And when I get to see so many icons and friends and

00:45 rising stars, all of you beautiful people everywhere I look.

00:51 I didn't get to this podium by myself.

00:54 I have been so fortunate to have tremendous role models for

00:59 my entire life starting with my grandmother, Zerit.

01:03 Zerit was the first female doctor in Trinidad, the first.

01:08 [APPLAUSE]

01:11 My mother, Rona, who emigrated from Trinidad to New York,

01:16 didn't go to college.

01:18 But with just a high school diploma, she got a job as a secretary for Pan Am.

01:24 And because of that job,

01:25 she made it possible for my family to travel all over the world.

01:29 And my aunt Margaret, at only 21 years of age,

01:34 became Britain's first black female publisher.

01:37 Now, one thing these women had in common is that they didn't accept their

01:44 circumstances.

01:45 They marched ahead because they didn't believe in limitations, and neither do I.

01:50 So coming up in Hollywood, I always felt like I was working two jobs.

01:57 One, my actual job, my job job.

02:00 And two, the job of representing us, of fighting the good fight,

02:05 because I was almost always the only black person in the room.

02:10 But like the women in my family, I marched ahead.

02:15 So please don't believe it when they say that

02:19 Hollywood doesn't want to hear our stories,

02:21 because I'm here to tell you that we do want those stories.

02:25 >> [APPLAUSE]

02:29 >> Just look around you.

02:31 Black women are leading the way.

02:34 That's why we are blessed with the stunning performances of Daniel Brooks and

02:40 Halle Bailey.

02:41 >> [APPLAUSE]

02:43 >> That's why we're blessed by

02:44 the dazzling shows created by Nkechi Okorokaro.

02:48 >> [APPLAUSE]

02:51 >> Quinta didn't believe it when everyone

02:53 said comedies are dying.

02:55 She marched ahead and she gave us a gem of a show.

02:58 >> [APPLAUSE]

02:59 >> Channing didn't believe the conventional

03:02 wisdom that a black woman couldn't run a network and be chairman of a major studio.

03:08 She did both.

03:10 >> [APPLAUSE]

03:12 >> You gotta fight the status quo,

03:14 because you can be the one to change the world.

03:17 You must tell your story.

03:20 You must tell our stories.

03:22 The world needs our stories more than ever.

03:25 We are defying expectations.

03:27 We are changing the industry and we are influencing culture.

03:32 And the spark you see in me is only a reflection of you all.

03:37 Thank you, Essence, again for this wonderful honor.

03:41 I'm blessed.

03:41 Thank you.

03:42 >> [APPLAUSE]

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