Sheryl Lee Ralph has made a career of being a trailblazer, so breaking boundaries is nothing new for the Emmy winning legend of stage and screen — which is why we were so very excited to have her recently grace the cover of our annual African American issue (Plus 152, Jan/Feb 2023 issue).
In addition to paving the way for women of color in the entertainment industry (she directs and produces too), Ralph was one of the first high-profile celebrities to use her platform to raise awareness around HIV and AIDS. In 1990 she founded the DIVA Foundation, a nonprofit that has raised hundreds of thousands for HIV-related causes. Read about the documentary she’s now producing, Unexpected, which focuses on Black women affected by HIV, as well as what was going through her mind during her now-famous Emmy acceptance speech.