By Alyssa Debonair
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer
For all the hype surrounding “Empire” and “Power,” both of which deserved it, “Grey’s Anatomy” is going on twelve years on air. Created by Shonda Rhimes, Jesse Williams has portrayed Jackson Avery since 2009. But, many got to know him in 2016, for the first time.
Jesse Williams stirred a lot of people, when he called out racism for what it is during his BET Awards acceptance speech. Even those who didn’t like what he said, tuned into “Grey’s” to watch him. Along with this, he produced the Stay Woke: The Black Lives Matter Movement.
In addition to his thrilling portrayals, Jesse Williams used his wealth and celebrity to protect his people. It was hard to overlook the efforts of such names as Morris Chestnut, Terrence Howard, Omari Hardwick, Bryshere “Yazz” Gray, Trai Byers, and others, but Jesse Williams’ fearlessness put him over the top. Jesse Williams is Hip Hop Vibe’s Actor of the Year and catch him in Money in 2017.
Watch Jesse Williams’ speech at the BET Awards below:
Follow Alyssa Debonair on Twitter @AlyssaDebonair.
