Thanksgiving

Chicago Born Actress Lena Waithe Makes History With Emmy Win

Chicago-native Lena Waithe made history at the Emmy Awards on Sunday night thanks to her win on the hit show "Master of None." 

Waithe, who currently stars in the Netflix original series, won the Emmy for “Best Comedy Writing” for the episode “Thanksgiving,” which she co-wrote along with series star Aziz Ansari.

According to Variety, that win made Waithe the first ever African-American woman to win an Emmy for comedy writing. 

“The things that make us different, those are our superpowers,” she said during her acceptance speech. “Go out there and conquer the world. It would not be as beautiful as it is if we weren’t in it.”

In the episode, Waithe grapples with the challenge of coming out as a lesbian to her family. The episode also featured Oscar-nominated actress Angela Bassett. 

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel also congratulated Waithe in a statement. 

"Chicago is proud of Lena's accomplishments and looks forward to watching her future success," he said. "Lena is a talented and creative writer and actress with a gift for storytelling, a unique vision, and strong voice." 

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