In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, The Westport Library held its 19th annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration with award-winning television producer, screenwriter and Shondaland CEO, Shonda Rhimes.
Rhimes, who is also a Westport resident, is best known for pioneering the storytelling company Shondaland as a creator, head writer and executive producer of critically-acclaimed TV shows like “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Scandal,” “Bridgerton,” “How to Get Away With Murder” and more.
American novelist and screenwriter Trey Ellis, who is also a Westport resident, interviewed Rhimes in front of a packed audience. Rhimes stated how each year Martin Luther King Jr. Day encourages her to continue learning and thinking about how she can make the world a better place.
“It’s including somebody, it's reaching out to somebody who maybe doesn't seem like anybody's reaching out to them. Those are the small ways you can do it," Rhimes said.
“You can do bigger things. You can go on marches. You can be an activist. There are a million ways to make the world a better place. It feels like you want a better world for your children. You want a better world for your friends. You want a better world for the people who raised you. So what are you doing to make the world a better place? That's the thing I always try to think about on Martin Luther King Day,” Rhimes said.
It was important to have Rhimes as the guest speaker due to the gravity of her work and her commitment to change, according to EJ Crawford, The Westport Library’s marketing and communications director.
“Shonda is an innovator and a trailblazer, a towering figure in the world of entertainment and a consistent and powerful force for change and good. And it’s even more of a treat to have her in conversation with the inimitable Trey Ellis. We’re thrilled they could both be here,” Crawford said.
Rhimes spoke of her commitment to representing people of diverse backgrounds in her storytelling and paving the way for people of color, women of color and members of the LGBTIA+ community in the media industry.
She said she does this by challenging stereotypes. Rhimes is the first African-American woman to create a top 10 network TV series and the first woman to create three television dramas that have achieved the 100-episode milestone.
Rhimes says the only way to keep climbing and achieving success is by being “your authentic self.”
The free celebration was in partnership with The Westport TEAM Westport, the Westport Country Playhouse and the Westport/Weston Clergy Association.
