African-American actress, Viola Davis, honoured by top US magazine

African- American Oscar winning Actress, Viola Davis was among this year’s list of honorees by Glamour magazine’s Women of the year.

The U.S. magazine Glamour held its 2018 Women of the Year celebration in New York on Monday November 12.

Musician cum actress, Janelle Monae was also honored and TV presenter, MJ Rodriguez thinks its well deserved.

“I think she’s worthy of it because she’s really stood the test of time to be a freedom fighter and she’s done it through her art more so than anything. And now she’s doing it through her words and through her actions, you know, that’s the most important thing.

“And as a black woman of the LGBTQ community now – as someone who considers themselves as pan (pansexual) she’s being inclusive to everyone. She’s not just stigmatizing herself to one thing,” she said.

Other honorees included Chrissy Teigen, and the women of the March for Our Lives and the ‘Sister Army’.

Samantha Barry is editor in chief of Glamour magazine.

“The common thread is that they all fight for something. They are all standing up and believing for something. And the theme ‘Women Rise’ is not – they’re not only doing that for themselves, they’re bringing other women with them.

“So, when we were looking at the women of the year that was one of the things we were looking at. Were these women standing up for something but also bringing women with them,” Barry said.

‘Sister Army’ has become shorthand for the 160 victims who testified about their abuse at the hands of long-time USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar, ultimately leading to his 175 year prison sentence.

For Teigen, who was presented her award by husband John Legend, the year has been filled with inspirational moments.

“Oh my goodness of course. Like the way that everyone’s able to stand up, speak up and get those old men realizing that women can do it just as well if not better is really an incredible thing to see. It’s just been – it’s been a year of really women proving that they are worthy and amazing. It sucks that we had to prove ourselves, but for everyone to see it right there on the frontlines is really amazing”, she noted.

This is the publication’s 29th Women of the Year event.