The American Film Institute (AFI) has presented Oscar-winning actress Viola Davis with a Doctorates of Fine Arts degree.
Davis was introduced on stage to receive the ‘honoris causa,’ a degree given to those who contribute to the art of the moving image by director Gina Prince-Bythewood.
“You have the power to come home to that one thing that made you want to do this. To be healers, to be alchemists, to buck the system, to see life just a little bit different, and therefore you don’t just leave something for people. You leave something in them,” Davis shared on stage as she received her AFI Honorary Degree.
Davis has won rave reviews and numerous accolades over the years with memorable and significant acting roles in film and television. There was the Oscar-nominated performance for “The Help” in 2011, which launched her career. She earned another Oscar nomination for the movie “Doubt” in 2008 and received an Oscar for her performance in “Fences” in 2016 and a nomination in the best actress category for her portrayal of Blues singer Ma Rainey in the Netflix drama” Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” in 2021.
The Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series for her work in ABC’s “How To Get Away With Murder,” made her the first black woman in history to take home the award and earned her the EGOT status through her Oscar, Emmy, Grammy, and multi-Tony Award wins.
Along with her husband Julius Tennon, Davis has partnered with multiple programs to eradicate childhood hunger in the United States with their Davis-Tennon Foundation. They also own a film production company called JuVee Productions.
In receiving this honor, she joins recipients who include Maya Angelou, Angela Bassett, Spike Lee and Cicely Tyson.