Sheryl Lee Ralph, who on Monday night became only the second Black woman to win an Emmy for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series, for ABC's "Abbott Elementary," had the crowd on its feet with her stunned, heartfelt speech (and song).
But only one other woman had any kind of inkling what she was going through: Jackée Harry — the first Black woman to win an Emmy for supporting actress in a comedy, 35 years ago in 1987, for her role on "227."
And shortly after Ralph's win, Harry sent out a series of tweets that not only congratulated her, but revealed that the pair shared a "227" connection.
"Winning my Emmy was a career highlight, but it was also a lonely experience," Harry, who has recently been appearing on "Days of Our Lives," wrote in her first tweet. "For 35 years I’ve been the only black woman to win Outstanding Supporting Actresses in a Comedy Series. But that all changes tonight… and it’s come full circle!"
She then followed that up by revealing, "The network originally wanted @thesherylralph to play Sandra on 227, but I got the part and won an Emmy for it. Now, Sheryl joins me as the 2nd black woman in this category and deservedly so! I’m so exited (sic) for her #Emmys win!"
Harry starred as the egotistical, stylish Sandra on "227" from 1985-89, and was nominated a second time for the role in 1988.
In a third tweet, Harry added, "@thesherylralph’s had a remarkable career AND she’s one of the nicest people in Hollywood. Barbara Howard on #AbbottElementary is another fabulous character we’ve been fortunate to watch her breathe life into. Congrats, Sheryl & welcome to the club!" She added the hashtags #Emmys and #BlackGirlsRock.