Kelly McCreary Instagram – This photo from the @Essence #BlackWomenInHollywood 10th Anniversary celebration was just sent to me by a friend. I had never seen it before, but you can see the admiration, adulation on my face as the room gave the legendary Ms. Diahann Carroll her well-deserved ovation. It was the only time I had ever shared space with the woman I first encountered as a little girl, lolling on the floor of our tv room, up past my bedtime, while my mom watched Dynasty. She was one of my first encounters with black glamour, and I had no idea that in her role as the villain of that show, she was— and not for the first time— breaking Hollywood’s rules about what a kind of role a woman like her ought to be able to play. She blazed the trail for all of us who came after her. What a gift to have been able to celebrate her, with gratitude, joy and pride, while she was here. May she Rest In Peace. (Photo by @bevysmith via @ijessewilliams)