Regina King Made Sure Breonna Taylor Wasn't Forgotten At The 2020 Emmys

The 2020 Emmys Awards brought an exciting, if a little surreal, night of celebration for the entertainment industry. But just because people were celebrating does not mean they've forgotten about everything happening in the world. Like Regina King, who paid tribute to Breonna Taylor at Sunday night's award show with a symbolic and powerful nod.

On Sunday night, the Watchmen actress won a Lead Actress Emmy in a Limited Series or Movie for her groundbreaking role. Despite the fact that the evening tends to usually see glamorous gowns, jewels, and buzz-worthy hairstyles, King went a different route. The actress wore a simple pant suit with a t-shirt emblazoned with the face of Breonna Taylor, the 26-year-old Black woman who was shot to death by police in her home in Louisville, Kentucky in March. Above the image of Taylor's face were the words "say her name," a reminder that the three officers fired their guns in Taylor's apartment during a raid, actions that resulted in her death, have yet to be reprimanded.

King joins other celebrity activists seeking justice for Taylor, like Oprah Winfrey, LeBron James, and Beyoncé, who wrote a letter to the Kentucky attorney general calling for action.

King might have been celebrating on Sunday night, especially once she won her Emmy, but she made it clear with her statement t-shirt that she has not given up on the fight for justice for Taylor.

King had addressed Taylor's death last month with an Instagram post as well, sharing a photo of herself wearing a t-shirt that read "arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor" on the front and the message, "say her name" on the back. "It’s been 150 days since Breonna Taylor was murdered in her sleep by Jonathan Mattingly, Brett Hankison, and Myles Cosgrove — and her killers have not been charged," she wrote. "Too often Black women who die from police violence are forgotten. Let’s stay loud, keep demanding justice for Breonna and her family, and SAY HER NAME."

The actress did take a moment on Sunday night to get a little glamorous for the Emmys apart from making a statement about Breonna Taylor. For the awards show, she got dressed up in a blue Schiaparelli Couture by Daniel Roseberry ballgown she had initially hoped to wear to the Emmys if they had been live rather than virtual, and shared a photo shoot on Instagram. As King showed tonight, it's OK to celebrate your success alongside your fight for justice.