2023 -- H 5481

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

CONGRATULATING THE LEGENDARY VIOLA DAVIS ON BECOMING AN EGOT

(EMMY, GRAMMY, OSCAR, AND TONY) AWARDS WINNER

     Introduced By: Representatives Voas, Giraldo, Shekarchi, Blazejewski, Potter,
Chippendale, Kennedy, Tanzi, Cotter, and Fenton-Fung

     Date Introduced: February 09, 2023

     Referred To: House read and passed

     WHEREAS, On Sunday, Feb 5, 2023, at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, Central Falls

native, Viola Davis, became the ninth winner of color to achieve the prestigious EGOT recipient

status, having earned an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award; and

     WHEREAS, The timing of Ms. Davis’ achievement coincides with our country’s

celebration of Black History Month and truly inspires and irrefutably illustrates the monumental

achievements and contributions of people of color both historically and today; and

     WHEREAS, Viola Davis was born on her grandmother’s farm, the Singleton Plantation,

in South Carolina, the second youngest of six children. Soon after, she moved with her parents

and two siblings to Central Falls, often living in deplorable conditions and condemned

apartments; and

     WHEREAS, The road to her success began when Ms. Davis attended Central Falls High

School where her love for acting and the stage took root and after majoring in theater at Rhode

Island College, she enrolled at the Young People’s School for the Performing Arts where her

talent was soon discovered and led to her admittance into the Julliard School and her first

professional stage role in 1992; and

     WHEREAS, From these humble beginnings, Ms. Davis has become a legendary and

resoundingly beloved American actor and producer and undoubtedly one of the greatest actors of

the 21st century, initially debuting her talents on Broadway in Seven Guitars followed by myriad

critically acclaimed performances including her role in King Hedley II for which she received her

first Tony Award; and

     WHEREAS, In 2015, Ms. Davis won an Emmy Award for her role on How to Get Away

with Murder, and in 2017, earned an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in Fences for which she

also won a Golden Globe Award. She completed the EGOT with her Grammy win for Best Audio

Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording of Finding Me in 2023; and

     WHEREAS, In addition, Ms. Davis is the sole African-American to achieve the Triple

Crown of Acting for her work in film, television, and theater, and has earned a panoply of

additional honors over the course of her career including induction into the Academy of Motion

Picture Arts and Sciences, numerous Screen Actors Guild Awards, a Golden Globe Award, a

BAFTA Award, Cannes Film Festival Women in Motion Award, CinemaCon Award, four

Critics’ Choice Movie Awards, as well as myriad nominations in all these Awards’ categories and

more throughout her career; and

     WHEREAS, Viola Davis never forgot her humble Rhode Island beginnings and has often

donated funds to her hometown Central Falls for its library, High School, and meal programs, as

well as many arts and educational organizations throughout the State, and was honored by the

Rhode Island Tourism Division with the “Making a Difference” Award. She is a warm and caring

person, a legendary actor and producer, and a true inspiration to us all; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby

honors and congratulates Viola Davis on becoming an EGOT Award winner and extends our

heartfelt best wishes for her good health, continued success and much happiness; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Ms. Viola Davis.

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