April 21st 2023.
Sheryl Lee Ralph's life-giving contributions to those close to her and Black culture have been recognized, as she has been chosen to deliver the commencement speech at Rutgers University-New Brunswick and Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences for the Spring 2023 semester. As a proud Rutgers alumna, class of 1972, and one of the first Black women to graduate from the college, Ms. Ralph is honored to be part of the Rutgers Hall of Distinguished Alumni.
Her many successes include being nominated for a Tony Award in 1982 for her performance in Dreamgirls, and becoming the second Black woman to win an Emmy in 2022. She dedicated her acceptance speech to the power of her voice, singing the lyrics to a Dianne Reeves song: “I am an endangered species, but I sing a victim’s song, I am a woman, I am an artist, and I know where my voice belongs.”
Sheryl Lee Ralph is an exemplary role model, using her voice to speak up on issues such as AIDS. As a founding director of the Divinely Inspired Victoriously Anointed Foundation and recipient of the Red Ribbon Award at the United Nations, Ms. Ralph is an ambassador for Jamaica’s Ministry of Health and the brains behind Divas Simply Singing!, a musical AIDS benefit show.
On May 14, Rutgers University-New Brunswick and Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences will have the pleasure of hearing Sheryl’s inspirational commencement speech.
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