How To Get Away With Living

NORTHRIDGE CA-Viola Davis presented a lecture to 16 hundred students at California State University Northridge (CSUN).

Photo: TheWrap

Emmy winner Viola Davis is an actress breaking social norms and paving the way for women of color to play more versatile roles in Hollywood. Though she stars on the show “How To Get Away With Murder,” when she presented her lecture, I believe she gave students tools on How To Get Away with Living. With living a successful life and overcoming obstacles and showing them the strength of vulnerability. Davis grew up in poverty during the Jim Crow era. When she went to school she was bullied and called derogatory names because of her skin color.

“Every day there were eight or nine boys that would curse at me and throw anything from rocks or bricks at me,” she said.

When Davis returned home it wasn’t any better. She had to witness her dad beat her mother. But she was able to endure her hardships and work her way to Hollywood.

Before her role in “How To Get Away With Murder” Davis was cast to play the stereotypical roles of a servant. But now she gets to play the role of a successful and beautiful lawyer.

It took hard work and dedication to get to where she is. Here are tips Davis gave to the audience on How To Get Away With Living.

1. Don’t run away from your past. I agree with Davis. There is an African term called Sankofa. It means in order to move forward you must go back to you past. Go back to it to learn from it and move on.
2. Embrace all of who you are including your insecurities. Who knows the things you’re insecure about could be your best qualities if you just accept them.
3. Take off the mask. Life is messy and that is okay. Davis said when people take off the mask and are honest with one another about what they’re going through it creates a connection.
4. Continue to learn. Davis is in her 50’s now and she is still learning new things.

“How To Get Away With Murder” airs Thursday nights 10/9c on ABC.