Shonda Rhimes Couldn’t Even Write This Excellence

Did y’all see that Jesse Williams speech during the BET Awards?

Before you read another sentence, follow the jump, and then come back!

Welcome back! Aren’t you inspired as hell?

Before we get into anything, you should know that I love me some Grey’s Anatomy, the show on which Jesse currently stars as Doctor Jackson Avery, a multimillionaire brilliant plastic surgeon. Now heading into its 13th season, Grey’s is officially the longest committed relationship I’ve ever been in. And what a roller coaster of emotions it has been! I’ve spent over a decade crying, laughing and Shazamming songs from that show. And as with any good relationship, I do my fair share of Googling new people that could change the dynamic of what I already have going with my TV boos.

When you connect with a character, it can be something else entirely to find out who they are in real life. Maybe their real-life endeavors leave you wildly impressed (Sandra Oh), but more often you’re left bored (T.R. Knight) or even straight-up disappointed (Isaiah Washington). Well, Jesse Williams is Black Excellence personified.

If you don’t know what Black Excellence is, take a cue from Williams’ speech and go look it up yourself. I'll wait. Again.

I’m not here to explain our culture, I’m just here to take a brief moment to recognize his beauty. Yes, he is handsome and talented and wealthy, blah blah blah, but more importantly, he is Woke AF— and he is using his platform to inspire a generation. That's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!

It has come to my attention that people rarely listen to Black people unless we are entertaining you. And if at anytime we stop for a moment—and use that time to speak on behalf of the marginalized, to raise awareness of the struggles within the Black community, or to just cry because someone shot us in broad daylight,—folks tell us to just keep, singing, dancing, and acting. If the people can turn on the Queen Beyonce’ after a Super Bowl performance what are you to do in small town USA? Jesse said it best, “Even though we are magic, it doesn't mean that we aren't real”.

So use that magic to take the spark from Jesse’s words. Let's start the fire of a real revolution. Use your platform. We all have one, whether it’s coaching a little league team, teaching in a classroom, walking a kid home from school, dancing, singing or acting. You have the opportunity to use your words, your talents, your mere presence to change the world. The revolution is now, and Shonda Rhimes couldn't even write that shit. Well, maybe she could, but so can you.

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Shantira Jackson is a graduate of The Florida State University and moved to Chicago from Tallahassee, FL to pursue a career in comedy. She has trained at The Second City, iO Chicago, The Annoyance and Comedy Sportz. She is a member of The Second City Touring Company and an inaugural Bob Curry Fellow. She can be seen performing weekly at Second City's variety show Afro-Futurism and at iO as a member of the incomparable 3Peat. Tweet @Tira_son or like pics on Instagram at shantira87.