Women, POC, And LBGTQIA Make History At 2017 Emmys

Oscars take note, people of color, the LGBTQIA community, and women were big winners at this year's Emmy Awards.

Donald Glover makes history with Emmy win

While the biggest winners of Sunday's Emmys might have been Saturday Night Live and The Handmaid's Tale, the evening was also a major historic step forward for several minorities within the entertainment industry.

Donald Glover, Actor/Director for Sunday night's big winner, Atlanta , became the first African American to win in the Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series category. Glover also took home Outstanding Actor in a comedy series for the same show.

Writer/Actor for Master of None, Lena Waithe, also made history when she won in the Outstanding Writing in a Comedy category--making her the first African American woman to do so. During her acceptance speech she gave a shout out to the LGBTQIA community saying, "“Last but certainly not least, my LGBQTIA family. I see each and every one of you. The things that make us different—those are our superpowers. Every day when you walk out the door, put on your imaginary cape and go out there and conquer the world, because the world would not be as beautiful as it is if we weren’t in it."

Another big winner in the LBGTQIA community is openly gay comedian, Kate McKinnon, who took home the award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her work on Saturday Night Live. McKinnon is the first openly gay actress to appear on SNL while still in tenure on the show. This was her second Emmy win--she took home the same award in 2016.

Actor Riz Ahmed of The Night of also made history being the first man of Asian descent to win in his category of Outstanding Acting in a Limited Series. This is Us star, Sterling Brown, won for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series making him the first African American to do so since Andrew Braugher won in 1998.

Watch out Oscars, this is what diversity looks like

Many women, members of the LBGTQIA community and people of color are claiming Sunday's Emmys as a big step forward. The Emmys movie counterpart--the Oscars-- have been noticeably "white washes" in recent years, despite the great work being done by minorities. As so many minorities took home Emmy Awards this year, the respective communities are excited for the diverse winners being recognized for their work.

As Viola Davis said in her 2015 Emmy acceptance speech for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama for How to Get Away With Murder, "The only thing that separates women of color from anyone else is opportunity. You cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there." Bravo to all of the creators, writers, directors, and producers for making so many diverse roles this season.