On Wednesday (Sept. 16), acclaimed actress, Nia Long received the 2,857th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the Motion Pictures category. Snoop and Michael producer Graham King joined the celebration as guest speakers, while her family, friends and longtime peers gathered to witness the milestone. The day also came with another honor: Sept. 16 was proclaimed “Nia Long Day” in Hollywood.
Snoop used his time at the podium to celebrate an actor he believes never allowed the entertainment industry to dictate who she should become. “So we’re here today for one reason, to give some flowers to a real queen, Miss Nia Long,” he began. “Now, hold on. Nia been a star. Y’all just now putting it on the sidewalk? You see, we’ve been knowing. Boyz n the Hood, Friday, Love Jones, Soul Food, The Best Man. Come on, now. Nia wasn’t just in the culture. Nia IS the culture.”
The Long Beach icon continued, “Let me tell you something else… For about 30 years, Nia Long had every Black man in America thinking he had a chance. You didn’t … But she let you dream, and we appreciate you for that, Nia, real talk.”
The 55-year-old became emotional while explaining what the five points of her new star represent, reserving one for her mother, Talita Long. She recalled her childhood, saying, “I remember the days we’d walk down Hollywood Boulevard to the only New York-style pizza spot in LA. While reading the cemented names of stars aloud on this very boulevard, you told me I would have a star one day, and here we are.”
She also credited her mother with taking her to her first acting class and auditions and helping her through rejection: “I share this star with you because there isn’t any part of my story that doesn’t circle back to your bravery and unconditional love. I love you, mommy, and I wouldn’t be here without you.”
Near the end of her remarks, Nia reflected on the woman at the center of the five points — herself. The Fatal Affair star expressed, “She is me, Nia Talita Long. A mother, a daughter, a friend, a storyteller, a writer, a director, a producer, and a voice for my community. As I continue my journey alongside my five points of gravity, I will twinkle and shine, I will expand, I will inspire and represent the unique, magical mystery that can only be found in the essence of a Black woman.”
The Gamutt Blog 