00:00We've all been told not to look directly into the sun, but when our next honoree is on screen, none of us can look away.
00:07Her gaze is mesmerizing and reveals both her strength and vulnerability.
00:11Her smile is electrifying and displays her magnetic charm and joy spirit.
00:16Her stance is regal and confident, and it lets the world know that she's walking in syncopation with her destiny.
00:22She has no frenemies and is beloved by fans of all ages.
00:27She's not afraid to shake things up, and recently faced a love entanglement with a guy named Malcolm.
00:32She is fierce and fearless, and has a soft spot in her heart for spiders.
00:37She's worked with some of the greatest showmen on earth, and each of them has expressed their euphoria in working with her.
00:44She is young, gifted, and black, and has perfected the art of mastering her story as an Emmy-winning actress and producer.
00:51I've had the pleasure of working with her, and I was captivated by her ability to bring both life and depth to her character.
00:59Now, join me in watching a clip that will show exactly how this beautiful rising star lights up our screen and our hearts.
01:06I first became aware of my big sis, Z, on Shake It Up.
01:18I watched the show religiously.
01:20I thought it was super dope, super cool.
01:22She inspired me, and when I looked at her and saw her on TV, I felt like I could succeed and do the same thing.
01:28She was a natural on that show, man.
01:29She was very funny.
01:30Spider-Man, that's always been one of my favorite superheroes, and to see her bring her twists and bring her dry and sarcastic humor to that role, it just made me enjoy the film even more.
01:42I think Zendaya has a true, grounded sense of self, and I think that's why she's had this seemingly seamless transition from child star to leading lady.
01:55Me and Z play sisters on Euphoria, and she plays Rue so beautifully.
02:01Working with Zendaya on Euphoria is, honestly, it's a complete blast, man. It's a pleasure.
02:06She makes you want to bring your A game.
02:07Her character and portrayal of Rue in Euphoria would have to be one of my top favorites.
02:13We were all in the pandemic. We were all in the house together, and I remember that day the Emmys came on, and all we were thinking about that day was Zendaya better win.
02:21Her Emmy win was absolutely incredible. I don't know if you guys saw my jumping in the air video.
02:32It was like a win for me. It was a win for every black girl around the world.
02:36I think it's very cool that Zendaya is the youngest woman to win for a leading actress in a drama. That's fantastic.
02:44Malcolm and Marie, it was incredible. From the cinematography, from the writing, the directing.
02:53Z, again, displayed that raw emotion, and I never felt like she was trying too hard.
03:00It was just two characters, one space, and really just deals with, you know, human relationships.
03:08Her skill in being able to act without talking, and a lot of people can't do that. That's very tough to do.
03:14Zendaya is a great role model, not only for me, but for other women and men around the world.
03:21She's a great person. I have to say, like, she is the most genuine spirit that I have met in this business.
03:28Yeah, she's, I don't know, in her early 20s, but let me tell you something.
03:31She's got the experience of somebody who's been doing this for 30 years, because she's curious, interested, and interesting.
03:38Zendaya, what's going on? This is Algie Smith right here. I'm just so happy to be here to celebrate you, to give you all the flowers that you deserve.
03:45Congratulations on your Estes Black Women in Hollywood Award, well-deserved.
03:49Cannot wait to continue watching and clapping from my house, from the rooftops, from wherever we are.
03:56Heart, character, you have everything that exemplifies being a Black woman in Hollywood, a great Black woman in Hollywood.
04:04I just want to congratulate you for being such a force, being an absolute star, and being so kind and an amazing spirit.
04:14You give everybody hope, but little girls that look like me. You gave us hope. You give us hope.
04:21So continue to do what you do. I love you so, so much. I am so proud of you.
04:26And I can't wait to see what you do next. Love you, love you, love you.
04:34Love you, love you, love you, love you, love you, love you, love you, love you, love you, love you...
04:44Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, please welcome to the stage my friend, the lovely and talented Zendaya.
04:51I just want to say thank you, Yaya. You've been a dear and wonderful friend for a very long time,
05:03so thank you for that beautiful introduction. This award means absolutely so, so much to me
05:10to be acknowledged by Essence and by so many people that I admire and I appreciate
05:19means the world to me. I wish that I could be in a room full of all of you and talk to you and see
05:26your faces and hug you and thank you. I know that this is like, you know, we're receiving the awards,
05:33but I really feel like I owe every single honoree, every Black woman that I've been able to come in
05:41contact with when I entered this building a huge thank you. Thank you for existing. Thank you for
05:47being everything that you are. Black women are so incredibly special and valuable and your joy
05:55brings me so much joy. When I see a Black woman being happy and living her best life, it truly
06:06brings me so much joy. Your win, every win that you win feels like my own win and I wish I had
06:14enough words to go to every single one of you and say how much I appreciate you and I value you
06:19because you are so damn special. So this is not for me. This is for all of you and a huge thank you for
06:28all that you continue to be and do because without being able to see all of your work and all that you
06:35represent, I would not be able to be where I am and doing what I'm doing. You're a constant motivation
06:41and inspiration for me every day and when I see that you can do it, I feel like I can too
06:47and that is a huge, huge thing to say. So thank you and I just want to continue to watch you all shine
06:59and be amazing and I hope to always be in your corner and support you through all of that. So
07:06thank you so much.
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