By Brandon Cherry
WESTPORT, CT January 19, 2025 - The students of Kolbe Cathedral High school of Bridgeport, CT and Engineering and Science University Magnet School of West Haven, CT got to meet Shonda Rhimes at the Westport Library for their 19th Annual Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. event. Shonda is the creator, head writer, and executive producer of top shows such as; Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder, Bridgerton, and much more. Shonda is also the founder and CEO of Shondaland which is her own production company.
During this event, the students had the had the opportunity to hear from Shonda. There was a private Q & A with Shonda before the main event started. The event started out with speakers explaining the Westport Library’s tradition of the Martin Luther King Jr event to celebrate Black History and ‘Westport’s No Place for Hate Initiative’ and Westport’s goal to aim to celebrate diversity with special guest singer Christian Servance.
Christian Servace left, Senator Richard D. Blumenthal right.
The Keynote Conversation was given by Trey Ellis a professor at Columbia University’s School of Arts current Westport resident and by way of Washington, DC. His first novel was Platitudes and republished by Northeastern University’s Press. He was executive producer of King of the Wilderness won an HBO documentary award in 2018. Ellis is an award-winning novelist, two-time Emmy and Peabody filmmaker, and NAACP award winning playwriter and essayist.
Shonda explained how her career got started and her path to stardom! A goal of hers was creating a program in England to train crew members and line producers to hire them in the film industry. She was named commander of the British Empire because she had an economic impact of the British industry by training workers and providing employment. Shonda imaged persons like her (of color) holding certain roles. She explained instead of having white regency ladies, she retrieved information from Queen Charlotte the book and placed heroes as persons of color. Another breakthrough Shonda has done was having three black doctors in Grey’s Anatomy.
Once Shonda’s questions from the Keynote speaker were completed, the speaker obtained the student’s questions and asked Shonda their questions during the live event! One of the questions asked was from Raya Asan “Is there a reason you moved to Connecticut and how are you liking it so far?” Shonda stated she moved to CT it was the pandemic schools were closed in Los Angeles, and her daughter wasn’t doing well with virtual learning. The eldest sister told her mom to not raise her sisters in California and Shonda took it to heart. Shonda mentioned her oldest daughter told her she didn’t feel seen or beautiful in California. Her family wanted to live in a town where it is based on family community. Shonda found Westport almost by accident and loved it. Shonda felt like Westport was a town where she grew up, you can be you, and there’s no pressure to be someone you’re not.
You can read more about the event and watch the full keynote session at the Westport Library’s site by clicking the link here https://westportlibrary.org/shonda-rhimes-delights-capacity-crowd-in-riveting-19th-annual-rev-dr-martin-luther-king-jr-celebration-at-the-westport-library/
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