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00:00I am here to represent Queen Marla Gibbs.
00:25I am 55 years old and I do not use these cards, I use pen and paper.
00:33So here we go.
00:36It's safe to say that no one here in this room can claim 93 years of service to this
00:49thing we call life other than Miss Margaret Theresa Bradley, better known as Queen Marla
01:02Gibbs.
01:04I have to admit I was a little flummoxed when trying to come up with an impactful summation
01:12of this beautiful black female who has been a force of nature to be reckoned with.
01:21I mean, how do you achieve a task in two minutes for this woman?
01:29So I decided to approach my thoughts of Queen Marla from the other side.
01:36The side that has sustained, contained, and protected her so that she will be able at
01:49the tender age of 93 to continue to culminate and share her legacy and life's journey with
02:02all of us.
02:04Without a doubt, I know Queen Marla has made so many sacrifices for all of us in this room
02:14right now as I speak.
02:16We are all elated to bear witness to Queen Marla being given her well-deserved accolades,
02:24recognitions, flowers, and awards while she can savor them.
02:36Queen Marla, that's fine, you can clap.
02:43Queen Marla is a survivor of this business of show.
02:54Most of us in this room look at the bright side of what we do, but if we are to continue
03:01our journey, we should recognize the following.
03:07Queen Marla is a rebel with a quiet but determined cause.
03:19She is an orator that says what needs to be said when needed.
03:27Queen Marla has made many sacrifices in her seven decades of giving and sharing with us.
03:42The crazy part is that we will really never know those real sacrifices that she has made.
03:50Unfortunately, she is not here because she's 93 years old and she doesn't have to give
03:55a f***.
03:56Play the tape!
03:57You live in this apartment, right?
03:58Uh-huh.
03:59And you got an apartment in this building?
04:00Uh-huh.
04:01Yes, that's right.
04:02But how come we overcame, and nobody told me?
04:16For over five decades, Marla Gibbs has been a barrier-breaking queen in American entertainment,
04:26blazing trails on both screen and behind the camera.
04:29How did my career start?
04:31I came here in 69 and started in community workshops.
04:36My daughter Angela and I found out about
04:38Margaret Avery's workshop.
04:40So we went and joined and found out that
04:44they were auditioning for the Jeffersons.
04:47And so I went and did an audition for the Jeffersons
04:50and my agent was Ernestine McClendon
04:54and she decided that her clients were not being seen
04:58the way they should be.
04:59So she wrote a full page letter to the Hollywood Reporter.
05:04So I went in and did an audition
05:06and it was the first time they paid attention to me.
05:10And by the time I got home I had the job.
05:13How did it feel to be dead?
05:15What?
05:17Did you get to talk to the devil?
05:20Armed with quick wit and impeccable comedic timing,
05:23Marla Gibbs transformed a one-time guest role
05:26in the Jeffersons at age 44
05:28into an 11-season masterclass in entertainment.
05:32Florence, I need a drink.
05:33Me too and make mine a double.
05:35Her performance led to five Emmy nominations
05:38and helped make the Jeffersons a top 10 show.
05:42Well, it was awesome because we weren't expecting it.
05:46You didn't see black people on TV that much.
05:48And so just the idea that you were auditioning
05:52for something to be on television,
05:55the people I grew up with would be shocked.
05:57But bringing Florence Johnston to life
05:59was just the beginning.
06:00Making history as the first black woman
06:02to executive produce a television show,
06:04Marla broke new ground with 227,
06:07where she not only starred,
06:08but served as creative consultant.
06:10Oh, Eddie Murphy, Eddie Murphy, that's all I ever hear.
06:13Daddy.
06:14Mary.
06:15Lester.
06:16Sorry.
06:17When network executives pushed
06:18to make her character a single mother,
06:20she stood resolute,
06:21fighting for and winning the portrayal
06:23of a strong two-parent black household.
06:26But her influence extended far beyond the screen.
06:29Miss Gibbs created vital spaces
06:31for black creativity to flourish.
06:33Marla's Memory Lanes,
06:35her jazz club in South Central LA,
06:37was a cultural cornerstone for nearly two decades.
06:40Marla co-founded Crossroads Theater and Acting School
06:43with her daughter Angela in 1981
06:45and later acquired the historic Lenmert Theater,
06:48transforming it into the Vision Theater Complex.
06:51Though adorned with eight NAACP awards
06:54and honors like Essence Magazine's Woman of the Year,
06:57Marla's true legacy lies in the doors she opened,
07:00the stereotypes she shattered,
07:02and the standards she set.
07:03She's a visionary architect who built an empire
07:06on the understanding that representation,
07:08ownership, and opportunity
07:10are the foundations of black excellence.
07:14Marla!
07:16Stand up for Marla, please.
07:20Please!
07:22So, in her absence,
07:26I'm here to bring up
07:29one of her three beautiful children.
07:32Give it up for Angela Gibbs.
07:36Come on, Angela!
07:39Come on, Angela!
07:57Okay, I didn't expect to feel this feeling.
08:00Mm, thank you.
08:02My mother loves you so much.
08:04And so do we. Thank you.
08:07Thank you, Essence, for this wonderful afternoon.
08:10All right, here we go.
08:12So earlier, we acknowledged
08:15how fierce a Virgo is.
08:18But now I want to talk about a woman who was a boss
08:21that's a Gemini, okay?
08:23Any Geminis in the house?
08:26Well, then y'all will understand this,
08:28because y'all are two people, okay?
08:31I want to talk about how I grew up with two mothers.
08:35One that didn't take no mess.
08:37She would beat my behind, and then the next minute say,
08:40now, baby, you want to go to the store with me or make a salad?
08:44Or she'd have us on our hands and knees scrubbing floors,
08:47give me a toothbrush, and have me scrubbing baseboards,
08:51and then make the best chocolate chip cookies you ever had.
08:55But you all have met both sides of her.
08:58You've met the fiery, feisty personality
09:01that brought Florence to us, and Mary.
09:04And so many memorable roles.
09:06She brought her own seat to the table
09:09when the cast of The Jefferson said they don't want us there.
09:13Come on over here.
09:14She said, no, I'm going to stay here.
09:16And she talked to Norman Lear and the writers,
09:18and she said, you know, black people don't talk like that.
09:22And they said, what?
09:24And they were too embarrassed to ask her to move from the table.
09:28And she gave them her feedback.
09:30And she helped create Florence,
09:32but she also created a new standard
09:34where all the actors were allowed to stay at the table and give notes.
09:39That's right.
09:40OK?
09:41That's right.
09:44She fought for a husband, as they said,
09:46and a wholesome family on 227.
09:48Shout out.
09:50Where are you, Hal Williams?
09:52She said, I will not be another single black woman on television.
09:57She fought for black writers, hair and makeup,
10:01and people that look like us.
10:03So she was just as fiery behind the scenes
10:06as she was in front of the camera.
10:09Then there's the sweet one, the one that made the cookies,
10:13that cares so deeply for the people in our community.
10:18She built institutions, the Jazz Club.
10:21Together we had Crossroads Theater,
10:23which 227 was a play originally and came out of.
10:28She knew that we are the gatekeepers of our stories,
10:32that we're the preservers of our culture,
10:35and she wanted to make sure that those institutions were in place
10:38to do just that.
10:40If she were here right now...
10:43Oh, and one more thing I want to say.
10:45When you talk about the sweetness of my mother,
10:47it's always amazing to me,
10:49no matter how tired she is or what she's been through,
10:53she always stops for a picture.
10:55She'll always stop for a hug.
10:57She'll always stop to write an autograph.
11:01She cares so deeply for her fans and her colleagues.
11:05She has a saying that, because of you, I am.
11:11The feisty side of her really wanted to be here today.
11:15I deal with that side often.
11:17If she was here, she'd tell you she's vibrating on 30
11:20because she's never heard a 30-year-old
11:22talk about what they can't do.
11:25She would tell you that we're all one,
11:28so to honour God and to please be kind to each other.
11:33She'd acknowledge all of today's phenomenal honorees.
11:38She would tell you, as long as you're breathing,
11:41you can achieve your dream.
11:43On behalf of my mother and our family,
11:46we want to thank Essence,
11:48and we want to thank all of you for your continued love
11:51and the flowers that you give her.
11:53It's beautiful to be honoured by our own.
11:57I know she will cherish this award, and so will we.