Over the weekend, Michaela Coal made history as the first black woman to win the Emmy for limited series writing of the HBO show, ‘I May Destroy You’. But who is Michaela Coal? Michaela is a 34 year old writer, producer and director. She was born on October 1st 1987 to Ghanaian parents.
The HBO show, ‘I May Destroy You’ is based on Michaela’s personal story and encounter with sexual assault. In the show, Michaela starred as Arabella, a young woman who seeks to rebuild her life after she recalls being drugged and raped at a local nightclub.
Michaela with the help of Sam Miller participated in the creation, writing and directing of the show. The story of the show is dedicated to every survivor of sexual assault. In her acceptance speech Michaela had this to say, “Write the tale that scares you, that makes you feel uncertain, that isn’t comfortable. I dare you-in a world that entices us to browse through the lives of others to help us better determine how we feel about ourselves and to in turn feel the need to be constantly visible, for visibility these days seems to somehow equate to success. Do not be afraid to disappear from it, from us for a while and see what comes to you in the silence.”
Besides this win Michaela was also a nominee in three other categories in the series, i.e. producing, acting and directing.
