Why Tracee Ellis Ross Belives Her Emmy Nomination Is So Much Bigger Than Her

The "Black-ish" star is the 5th black woman to ever be nominated in the category ... and the first one to nab a nom in a whopping 30 years. FYI: Phylicia Rashad was the last black woman to pop up in the category for her work on "The Cosby Show" back in 1986.

"It's exciting to be nominated personally at this point in my career. It's very exciting for a show I feel so proud of," Ross told toofab's Rose Curiel at Saturday's Women Making History Brunch presented by the National Women's History Museum, where she was being honored.

"[But] the historical aspect of first nomination for a black woman in this category in 30 years adds a very interesting layer that I think is actually more interesting to me than my own personal excitement," she adds, "the larger narrative of what it means, in terms of the stories we're telling."

Ross expanded on what the nomination means during her speech at the event.

"The fact that I am the first woman to be nominated in the category of lead actress in a comedy in 30 years is something to ponder. Why are black women underrepresented in the stories that get told? What we see in the media does not fully represent who black women are being in the world," she told the crowd. "The convergence of race and gender here cannot be ignored. This requires everyone to get uncomfortable and everyone to notice what's missing and be able to speak up and get involved. Side-note, where are the Asians, the Middle Easterners, Latinos? I'm just curious."

"As women we are often told by society to take up less space and to life our lives through others, our children, our spouses, our future suitors, or the children we might one day make — which are all great things — but I think the key is to make space for our own selfhood," she continued, "to be the people that we are meant to be, the choosers, the leads in our lives. The president."