Ariana DeBose has made history after winning an Oscar for the Best Supporting Actress for her role in West Side Story.
The 31-year-old American actress, dancer, and singer who quickly rose to fame after her performance on So You Think You Can Dance has become the first openly queer actress to take home an Oscar.
In the race for the prestigious award, DeBose faced tough competition including nominees Judi Dench of Belfast, Aunjanue Ellis of King Richard, Jessie Buckley of The Lost Daughter, and Kirsten Dunst of The Power Of The Dog.
Following her historical win, the young actress thanked the people who helped her on her journey before sharing an encouraging message with fellow Americans.
“Yikes. Okay. Oh, my word. You know what? What is this? You know what, now you see why Anita says I want to be in America, because even in this weary world that we live in, dreams do come true. And that’s really a heartening thing right now,” she said in her acceptance speech during Sunday’s 94th annual Academy Awards.
“If I took the time to say thank you to every single beautiful person who has lifted me up on the stage, you’ll find people would be sitting here until next Oscars, so I’m going to going to do that, but allow me to say it was the summer of a lifetime and I am the most privileged and grateful to have spent it with all of you.”
After thanking her family, friends, co-stars, and Director Steven Spielberg, DeBose added:
“Lastly, imagine this little girl in the back seat of a white Ford Focus. Look into her eyes, you see an openly queer woman of color and Latina who found her life and strength in art. That’s what I believe we’re here to celebrate.
“So to anybody who has ever questioned your identity, ever, ever, ever, or you find yourself living in the gray spaces, promise you this. There is indeed a place for us. Thank you to the academy and thank you all.”
Congratulations!