Citation for Lena Waithe

Actor. Writer. South-Sider. Superhero. “The things that make us different … those are our superpowers,” you said in your unforgettable speech at the Emmys in 2017. You, Lena, are living proof.

You’ve spoken often about how, growing up in Chicago with your mother and grandmother, you fell in love with television. How, at age 7, you knew you wanted to be a writer — but didn’t see many stories on TV about the people you knew. Chasing your TV writing dream took you everywhere: From jobs at a movie theater, to a Best Buy, to a Blockbuster (may it rest in peace), and eventually to Los Angeles.

The entertainment industry may have turned your life upside down — but for the past decade, you have returned the favor. You have given Hollywood a wake-up call, on- and off-screen. From brilliant performances in shows like Master of None, to writing powerful films like Queen & Slim, to creating and producing shows like The Chi and Boomerang… you have told the stories of women of color, queer people, and communities who have all too often gone unheard. You have refused to accept the industry’s limitations on who should be a storyteller, or what stories should be told. You have created beautiful and radical art.

Your Master of None episode, “Thanksgiving,” not only earned you a place in history, as the first-ever Black woman to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series. It paved the way for countless LGBTQ+ young people to share their authentic selves with friends, families, and loved ones. 

Moreover, you are making sure your impact is felt far beyond the screen. As the Founder of the Hillman Grad media and production company, you continue to amplify and celebrate the voices of historically marginalized communities across all industries. Through the Hillman Grad mentorship program, you are shaping the next generation of storytellers — making sure our films, television, and media will tell the wide spectrum of stories that countless underrepresented communities live every day.

In every script, in every performance, you show young women and all of us that we do not have to play into the expectations society lays upon us. You remind everyone who has ever felt like an outsider: It is okay to ruffle feathers. It is okay not to be “likable,” however others might choose to define that word. And you remind us all: The people who make the greatest waves don’t swim with the current.

Lena Waithe — for being a trailblazer, a disruptor, and a voice who refuses to be pigeonholed; for inspiring millions of young women, queer people, and people of color; for reminding us all that everyone has a story to tell —  it is our honor to present you with this 2023 Barnard Medal of Distinction. Congratulations.