The Hidden Figures Cast’s Reaction To Their SAG Win Was So Inspiring

The 2017 SAG Awards ended on a celebratory high note Sunday night. The final award of the evening, Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, went to the stars of Hidden Figures (beating out Moonlight, Manchester by the Sea, Fences, and Captain Fantastic). The entire cast — including the main stars Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe — erupted with joy the moment their film was announced, hugging and cheering like crazy. And when the women got up onstage, they had much more to say than "Thank you." Speaking on behalf of the cast, Henson gave a rousing and inspiring speech praising the power of women. She thanked the real-life Black women who inspired the film with their crucial but unrecognized contributions to NASA's first space missions: Katherine G. Johnson (Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Spencer), and Mary Jackson (Monáe). "Without them we would not know how to reach the stars," Henson said, while Monáe and Spencer stood beside her, holding each other with tears streaming down their faces. "These women did not complain about the problems their circumstances. They focused on solutions...these brave women helped put men into space." Henson added, later, "Thank you so much for appreciating these women. They are hidden figures no more!" The Empire star also made an moving rallying cry for unity among humanity, echoing something she said on the red carpet earlier in the night. "This story is of unity. This story is about what happens when we put our differences aside and we come together as a human race. We win. Love wins every time." Watch the entire speech, below.