On a Saturday morning in downtown Atlanta, S. Epatha Merkerson stood in a room full of Black women who knew exactly what it cost to get there. That weight was not lost on her.
The veteran actress, best known for nearly two decades as Lt. Anita Van Buren on “Law & Order” and currently starring as Sharon Goodwin on NBC’s “Chicago Med,” received the On Her Shoulders Preservation Award at the Black Women Film Network’s 2026 Annual Summit, held at the Loudermilk Conference Center.
As she approaches 40 years in television, the recognition was different than most. Merkerson has won a Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild Award, and Emmy Award for the HBO film “Lackawanna Blues,” earned four NAACP Image Awards and two Tony nominations, and built a career that spans generations of Black storytelling.
“I wish I could tell you some of the struggles that I’ve had to stand here today,” Merkerson told the crowd. “That you acknowledge those struggles, just thank you. Thank you so much.”…