John Lemuel Celebrity

Sheryl Lee Ralph revelation: Here’s what she sang during moving Emmy speech for ‘Abbot Elementary’

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 12: Sheryl Lee Ralph, winner of the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series award for ‘Abbott Elementary,’ poses in the press room during the 74th Primetime Emmys at Microsoft Theater on September 12, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Sheryl Lee Ralph has been trending on Twitter since last Monday night’s 2022 Emmy Awards, owing to two factors: her well-deserved win and her rousing speech, which was turned into a song and captivated the audience at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles.

Sheryl Lee Ralph’s Barbara Howard won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series last Monday, beating out seven other comedy actresses.

Everyone was wondering what song she sang during the iconic moment during her now-trending acceptance speech.

Sheryl Lee Ralph performed Dianne Reeves’ “Endangered Species,” according to PEOPLE Magazine. The song appeared on her album “Art & Survival” in 1994.

The song, which has now been immortalized in an iconic television moment, contains a lyric relevant to Ralph’s life as an artist.

After receiving the award from Amy Poehler and Seth Myers, Ralph performed a song:

“I am an endangered species, but I sing no victim’s song / I am a woman, I am an artist, and I know where my voice belongs / I know where my soul belongs, I know where I belong.”

When asked why she chose to sing the song in her speech, Ralph explained that she has been singing it for years, with the poignant lyrics transcending her identity as a woman, an artist, and a person of color.

The “Dreamgirls” star concluded her moving speech by thanking her fellow actress Quinta Brunson, his husband, children, and friends who had supported her along the way.

Sheryl Lee Ralph’s big win at last Monday’s Emmys was huge because she was only the second black person to win the category since Jackee Harry in 1987.

According to Harry’s Instagram post, it was a full circle moment. It turns out that the role Jackee won in 1987 was originally intended for Ralph but was later offered to her.

Sheryl joins Jackee as the second black woman to win a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

According to Variety, “Abbott Elementary” was the most-tweeted show during the Emmys, with Sheryl Lee Ralph being the most-talked-about nominee.