Tichina And Marla

essencemagazine

8 months ago

Transcript

00:00I am here to represent Queen Marla Gibbs.

00:25I am 55 years old and I do not use these cards, I use pen and paper.

00:33So here we go.

00:36It's safe to say that no one here in this room can claim 93 years of service to this

00:49thing we call life other than Miss Margaret Theresa Bradley, better known as Queen Marla

01:02Gibbs.

01:04I have to admit I was a little flummoxed when trying to come up with an impactful summation

01:12of this beautiful black female who has been a force of nature to be reckoned with.

01:21I mean, how do you achieve a task in two minutes for this woman?

01:29So I decided to approach my thoughts of Queen Marla from the other side.

01:36The side that has sustained, contained, and protected her so that she will be able at

01:49the tender age of 93 to continue to culminate and share her legacy and life's journey with

02:02all of us.

02:04Without a doubt, I know Queen Marla has made so many sacrifices for all of us in this room

02:14right now as I speak.

02:16We are all elated to bear witness to Queen Marla being given her well-deserved accolades,

02:24recognitions, flowers, and awards while she can savor them.

02:36Queen Marla, that's fine, you can clap.

02:43Queen Marla is a survivor of this business of show.

02:54Most of us in this room look at the bright side of what we do, but if we are to continue

03:01our journey, we should recognize the following.

03:07Queen Marla is a rebel with a quiet but determined cause.

03:19She is an orator that says what needs to be said when needed.

03:27Queen Marla has made many sacrifices in her seven decades of giving and sharing with us.

03:42The crazy part is that we will really never know those real sacrifices that she has made.

03:50Unfortunately, she is not here because she's 93 years old and she doesn't have to give

03:55a f***.

03:56Play the tape!

03:57You live in this apartment, right?

03:58Uh-huh.

03:59And you got an apartment in this building?

04:00Uh-huh.

04:01Yes, that's right.

04:02But how come we overcame, and nobody told me?

04:16For over five decades, Marla Gibbs has been a barrier-breaking queen in American entertainment,

04:26blazing trails on both screen and behind the camera.

04:29How did my career start?

04:31I came here in 69 and started in community workshops.

04:36My daughter Angela and I found out about

04:38Margaret Avery's workshop.

04:40So we went and joined and found out that

04:44they were auditioning for the Jeffersons.

04:47And so I went and did an audition for the Jeffersons

04:50and my agent was Ernestine McClendon

04:54and she decided that her clients were not being seen

04:58the way they should be.

04:59So she wrote a full page letter to the Hollywood Reporter.

05:04So I went in and did an audition

05:06and it was the first time they paid attention to me.

05:10And by the time I got home I had the job.

05:13How did it feel to be dead?

05:15What?

05:17Did you get to talk to the devil?

05:20Armed with quick wit and impeccable comedic timing,

05:23Marla Gibbs transformed a one-time guest role

05:26in the Jeffersons at age 44

05:28into an 11-season masterclass in entertainment.

05:32Florence, I need a drink.

05:33Me too and make mine a double.

05:35Her performance led to five Emmy nominations

05:38and helped make the Jeffersons a top 10 show.

05:42Well, it was awesome because we weren't expecting it.

05:46You didn't see black people on TV that much.

05:48And so just the idea that you were auditioning

05:52for something to be on television,

05:55the people I grew up with would be shocked.

05:57But bringing Florence Johnston to life

05:59was just the beginning.

06:00Making history as the first black woman

06:02to executive produce a television show,

06:04Marla broke new ground with 227,

06:07where she not only starred,

06:08but served as creative consultant.

06:10Oh, Eddie Murphy, Eddie Murphy, that's all I ever hear.

06:13Daddy.

06:14Mary.

06:15Lester.

06:16Sorry.

06:17When network executives pushed

06:18to make her character a single mother,

06:20she stood resolute,

06:21fighting for and winning the portrayal

06:23of a strong two-parent black household.

06:26But her influence extended far beyond the screen.

06:29Miss Gibbs created vital spaces

06:31for black creativity to flourish.

06:33Marla's Memory Lanes,

06:35her jazz club in South Central LA,

06:37was a cultural cornerstone for nearly two decades.

06:40Marla co-founded Crossroads Theater and Acting School

06:43with her daughter Angela in 1981

06:45and later acquired the historic Lenmert Theater,

06:48transforming it into the Vision Theater Complex.

06:51Though adorned with eight NAACP awards

06:54and honors like Essence Magazine's Woman of the Year,

06:57Marla's true legacy lies in the doors she opened,

07:00the stereotypes she shattered,

07:02and the standards she set.

07:03She's a visionary architect who built an empire

07:06on the understanding that representation,

07:08ownership, and opportunity

07:10are the foundations of black excellence.

07:14Marla!

07:16Stand up for Marla, please.

07:20Please!

07:22So, in her absence,

07:26I'm here to bring up

07:29one of her three beautiful children.

07:32Give it up for Angela Gibbs.

07:36Come on, Angela!

07:39Come on, Angela!

07:57Okay, I didn't expect to feel this feeling.

08:00Mm, thank you.

08:02My mother loves you so much.

08:04And so do we. Thank you.

08:07Thank you, Essence, for this wonderful afternoon.

08:10All right, here we go.

08:12So earlier, we acknowledged

08:15how fierce a Virgo is.

08:18But now I want to talk about a woman who was a boss

08:21that's a Gemini, okay?

08:23Any Geminis in the house?

08:26Well, then y'all will understand this,

08:28because y'all are two people, okay?

08:31I want to talk about how I grew up with two mothers.

08:35One that didn't take no mess.

08:37She would beat my behind, and then the next minute say,

08:40now, baby, you want to go to the store with me or make a salad?

08:44Or she'd have us on our hands and knees scrubbing floors,

08:47give me a toothbrush, and have me scrubbing baseboards,

08:51and then make the best chocolate chip cookies you ever had.

08:55But you all have met both sides of her.

08:58You've met the fiery, feisty personality

09:01that brought Florence to us, and Mary.

09:04And so many memorable roles.

09:06She brought her own seat to the table

09:09when the cast of The Jefferson said they don't want us there.

09:13Come on over here.

09:14She said, no, I'm going to stay here.

09:16And she talked to Norman Lear and the writers,

09:18and she said, you know, black people don't talk like that.

09:22And they said, what?

09:24And they were too embarrassed to ask her to move from the table.

09:28And she gave them her feedback.

09:30And she helped create Florence,

09:32but she also created a new standard

09:34where all the actors were allowed to stay at the table and give notes.

09:39That's right.

09:40OK?

09:41That's right.

09:44She fought for a husband, as they said,

09:46and a wholesome family on 227.

09:48Shout out.

09:50Where are you, Hal Williams?

09:52She said, I will not be another single black woman on television.

09:57She fought for black writers, hair and makeup,

10:01and people that look like us.

10:03So she was just as fiery behind the scenes

10:06as she was in front of the camera.

10:09Then there's the sweet one, the one that made the cookies,

10:13that cares so deeply for the people in our community.

10:18She built institutions, the Jazz Club.

10:21Together we had Crossroads Theater,

10:23which 227 was a play originally and came out of.

10:28She knew that we are the gatekeepers of our stories,

10:32that we're the preservers of our culture,

10:35and she wanted to make sure that those institutions were in place

10:38to do just that.

10:40If she were here right now...

10:43Oh, and one more thing I want to say.

10:45When you talk about the sweetness of my mother,

10:47it's always amazing to me,

10:49no matter how tired she is or what she's been through,

10:53she always stops for a picture.

10:55She'll always stop for a hug.

10:57She'll always stop to write an autograph.

11:01She cares so deeply for her fans and her colleagues.

11:05She has a saying that, because of you, I am.

11:11The feisty side of her really wanted to be here today.

11:15I deal with that side often.

11:17If she was here, she'd tell you she's vibrating on 30

11:20because she's never heard a 30-year-old

11:22talk about what they can't do.

11:25She would tell you that we're all one,

11:28so to honour God and to please be kind to each other.

11:33She'd acknowledge all of today's phenomenal honorees.

11:38She would tell you, as long as you're breathing,

11:41you can achieve your dream.

11:43On behalf of my mother and our family,

11:46we want to thank Essence,

11:48and we want to thank all of you for your continued love

11:51and the flowers that you give her.

11:53It's beautiful to be honoured by our own.

11:57I know she will cherish this award, and so will we.

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