The director also thanked Netflix for 'letting a black woman do her thing.'
It's a win for Ava DuVernay and When They See Us!
The Netflix series was the most-nominated show at the 2020 Critics' Choice Awards, following its shocking snub at the Golden Globes. It first took home the trophy for Best Limited Series on Sunday -- and DuVernay couldn't have been more happy about the recognition.
"Thank you to the critics for finally letting us take the stage. Yes!" she shouted in her acceptance speech. "We made a four-part, five-hour film. It was an act of love. 179 actors, 117 of them had speaking parts. 312 members of the crew, my three co-writers, my comrades at ARRAY, my fellow producers at Participant, Tribeca and Harpo, and our great champions at Netflix who let a black woman do her thing, what can I say? Thank you so much."
When They See Us chronicled the real-life stories of the "Exonerated Five" -- a group of teens who were wrongfully accused of raping a woman in Central Park. DuVernay couldn't help but thank Raymond Santana, Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, Yusef Salaam and Korey Wise in her speech.
"This series began with a tweet from Raymond Santana, and now he, Antron, Kevin, Yusef and the mighty Korey Wise stand for something larger than they ever imagined. They stand for justice, they shine bright like the gems that they always were, but we never saw," DuVernay said.
"If you watched their story and felt something in that moment, I invite you to consider doing something," she continued. "There's no right thing to do. Do what you feel where you are, but don't let your anger and sadness be all. Cases like this are happening all around the world, in this country most specifically on our watch. People who are poor and innocent are behind bars while the rich and guilty walk free and gain power."
DuVernay concluded, "Thank you to the critics for the chance to get on this stage. Appreciate it!"
The acclaimed producer wasn't shy about commenting on When They See Us' snub at the Golden Globes. "Upside of not being nominated for Golden Globe for WHEN THEY SEE US: I don't have to juggle getting into hair, makeup + gown while researching, reading and worrying about impeding war," DuVernay tweeted last Sunday during the awards ceremony.
See more in the video below.
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