A popular television actress has been honored as Woman of the Year by the Harvard University group Hasty Pudding, the country’s oldest collegiate theatrical organization. The AP reports that Hasty Pudding announced the honor is going to Kerry Washington, who will be celebrated Jan. 28 with a roast and a parade through Harvard Square.
“Washington, the first black woman to headline a network TV drama since 1974 as crisis management specialist Olivia Pope on the hit show ‘Scandal,’ has earned Golden Globe, Emmy and SAG Best Actress nominations as well as an NAACP Image Award for Best Actress,” the report notes.
The organization said it honored Washington as a “talented and socially engaged film, TV and stage actress who keeps breaking barriers in Hollywood.”
“…since 1972.” Really? So you’re not including ensemble shows like Chicago Fire or L&O. How about dramas like Touched by an Angel?
I’d like to see more diversity in the industry, particularly on the production staff, but let’s not write off the gains we have made for some silly sound bite.