did y’all hear the king’s speech last night?

Last night the cast of Black Panther took home a statue for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture at the SAG Awards. While every single member of the cast was more than equipped to accept the award, Chadwick Boseman did the honors.

In very King T’challa fashion, he spoke proudly and fiercely about the impact Black Panther has had globally and specifically on Hollywood. 

Boseman used the opportunity to positively affirm Black people and reiterate that we deserve to see ourselves on the screen. Referring to himself and the cast as “young, gifted and Black” felt less self-congratulatory and more like a reminder to those of us who need it.

After a long year of wins for Black Panther it felt good to see the ensemble win an award voted on by their peers. Boseman reflected on the night tweeting:

The only thing bolder than shaking up Hollywood is quoting yourself. True King shit. Congratulations to the Black Panther team! And congratulations to me for not saying W*k*n*a once this whole piece! Unheard of.

Check out the full speech here: