Shonda Rhimes was raised to see obstacles not as roadblocks, but as hills to climb.
That was Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s mentality too.
It was fitting that Rhimes — CEO of Shondaland; creator, head writer and executive producer of “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Private Practice,” and “Scandal”; the producer of “Bridgerton” (and a Westport resident) — delivered that message, powerfully and eloquently, at yesterday’s 19th annual Martin Luther King Day celebration at the Library.
Despite inclement weather, the Trefz Forum was completely filled. Hundreds of others watched via livestream.
She described her route to superstardom — and explained the responsibility she feels for telling true stories, while being true to herself — in a conversation with Trey Ellis.
He’s an award-winning novelist, playwright and filmmaker; a professor at Columbia University — and also a Westporter.
When she began her career, Rhimes said, she was driven to succeed. “If I was getting coffee for someone, I tried to make it the best coffee they ever had. I wanted them to remember me.” She did not want to “take over the world” — but she wanted to be noticed.
She paused, then added, “Nobody thinks it’s remarkable when a white man says he’s going to take over the world.”
Tying together the economic impact of her work, the importance of showing diverse (and three-dimensional) characters, and staying true to her own principles, Rhimes said, “I only make shows that I want to watch.”
Doing that, however, has attracted viewers around the globe — and influenced how they see Black, LGBTQ and other minority people.
She wants her shows to be both mirrors (“for viewers to see themselves”), and windows (“to look out on a world they may not know”).
Shonda Rhimes
Noting the significance of today — it’s both Martin Luther King Day, and Inauguration Day — Rhimes said, “The struggle is not over. It’s beautiful to see how far we’ve come. But we take 2 steps forward, and 1 back. We will get through this all, if we stay vigilant.”
Looking ahead, she feels “even more of a responsibility to tell the stories I want to tell. It feels like we may be in for more suppression. Well, I’m not interested in being suppressed — or suppressing anyone else.”
A group of Bridgeport students — guests of the Walter Luckett Foundation — asked intriguing questions.
One youngsters wondered why Rhimes left California for Connecticut.
During the pandemic, Rhimes replied, she realized Los Angeles was not a great place to raise her daughters.
She wanted to move to a town that was focused on families. She found Westport almost by accident. But, she said, “this is a place where I’ll stay.”
Trey Ellis asked his own questions, and those submitted by Bridgeport youngsters.
Rsponding to another question, Rhimes said, “I tell my kids, ‘Who you are is up to you.'”
When a fan says “I want to be just like you,” she replies, “No. Be just like you.”
Rhimes concluded her Martin Luther King Day conversation with a reference to last year’s event, which featured King’s advisor and speechwriter, Clarence Jones.
“He wrote half of the ‘I Have a Dream’ speech,” Rhimes noted. “That’s a lot to live up to.
“But one thing I learned last year is that there is always a moment when you can make the world a better place, make someone feel included, or reach out.
“You can reach out in a million ways. And always ask yourself,’ “What did I do to make the world a better place?’
“If you don’t do that — what are you doing here?”
(Westport’s 19th annual Martin Luther King Day celebration was co-sponsored by the Westport Library, TEAM Westport, the Westport/Weston Clergy Association, the Westport Country Playhouse, and the Walter Luckett Foundation.
(The Martin Luther King Day celebration continues tonight [Monday, January 20, 7 p.m.], with a free screening of “King in the Wilderness at the Westport Country Playhouse. Trey Ellis is a co-producer.
(The Emmy Award-winning 2018 film follows Dr. King from the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965 to his assassination in April 1968. It includes never–seen interviews with people closest to King, interspersed with historical archives.
(Interviewees include Andrew Young, Harry Belafonte, John Lewis, Joan Baez, Jesse Jackson and C. T. Vivian. Click here for more information.)
TEAM Westport chair Harold Bailey welcomed guests to the MLK Day celebration.
Making his second Westport Library appearance in a week, Senator Richard Blumenthal called Westport “a beacon of activism and hope.” He thanked attendees for “being foot soldiers for justice.”
Stamford singer Christian Servance opened and closed the event, with a rousing pair of gospel-inflected songs.
Christian Servance, singing to the full Trefz Forum. (This and all photos above/Dan Woog)
From left: 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, TEAM Westport chair Harold Bailey, Senator Richard Blumenthal, Westport 10 founder Jay Norris, Shonda Rhimes, Trey Ellis.
(If it happens in Westport, you’ll read about it on “06880.” Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Each house of worship is developing its own plan for moving forward. The members of the Clergy Association share a commitment to move at a measured pace, protect and defend our most vulnerable populations and avoid further burdening our health care system. We are guided by faith traditions that call us to care for neighbors, to love and not to harm, and to save lives.
