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Tracee Ellis Ross aka Rainbow Johnson on “black-ish” was one of this year’s honorees during Essence Black Women In Hollywood Luncheon. The 43-year-old was the recipient of the “Fierce & Fearless” award.
In her speech, she shared that she almost missed the event because she was recovering from having lost her voice. “My doctor was scared that I might have permanent damage” she said.
Being the hard worker that she is, Tracee pushed through production on set of her show then she changed in the car in order to make the luncheon and accept her award!
We’re glad that she made it because she dropped these five gems on the importance of loving yourself and being happy in the skin you’re in.
On The Importance Of Celebrating Various Shades Of Brown Beauties:
“I was watching the Nina Simone documentary alone in my room and I said out loud to myself: ‘Why do we not know that this woman is beauty? She is beauty! Why did no one tell me this growing up? Why was her name not next to “beauty” in the dictionary?’ So thank you Essence, thank you for continuing to show us and the world our texture our beauty, all of it. To help redefine it for the world and just waking everybody up.”
On Not Striving For Perfection:
“Perfect is not the goal. The beauty in the humanity. All of it. I actually believe that the goal is not always grace and dignity, but selfhood. We should all do what we can in our daily lives to remember that we are glorious and powerful and more than enough, as women of color and as humans.
Embrace Every Aspect Of Yourself, Flaws & All:
“My goal is to make space for my selfhood. All of it. All of me, not just the parts I like or think that others like but all of it. I am committed to bringing back, by being messy. I mean, come on! My boobs do not belong up here! They’re down here! When I wear the bra that makes it go up there it makes dents in my shoulders! This is where God put them! I think it’s OK!”
We All Have A Multitude Of Talents, Take Time To Really Figure Out Who You Are:
“So about this Fierce and Fearless award, honestly I am often afraid. I was terrified when I lost my voice. But I’ve come to understand and listen to the fear. I walk towards it. I lean into it to find the information and things that it has to teach me— unless it says run and then I run. I run very fast and then I cry a lot and I text and I email…”
Manage Your Expectations & Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself:
“For all of the women that are swimming upstream in our culture of expectation, inequality, sexism and racism, my hope is that we will gloriously allow ourselves to be ourselves and to become limitless. The picture is changing. The template is expanding, because of us. We are in a time where our own freedom only needs a gentle touch to be awakened. … I don’t always feel fierce and fearless, but I do feel like I’m a rock star at being human.”
Additional Source: USA Today
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#BlackGirlMagic: 5 Amazing Quotes From Tracee Ellis Ross On Self Love was originally published on hellobeautiful.com
