On Thursday, the Connecticut native took on the role of the beloved holiday figure and shined bright while doing so for the department store’s Turkey Day tradition. When Ralph accepted the opportunity, she knew it would be a groundbreaking moment for little girls of color everywhere since this was the first time since the parade’s inception in 1924 that an African-American celebrity filled the position of Mrs. Claus, according to Parade.

In an interview with People, the Abbott Elementary actress expressed her sincere gratitude for the invitation to participate in the parade.

“I am so honored to have been asked by Macy’s to be their first celebrity Mrs. Claus for this year’s Thanksgiving Day Parade,” Ralph told the magazine. “It’s such a festive and enjoyable role, bringing warmth and joy to the start of the holiday season. I get to spread love and embody the spirit of giving. The perfect role for me!”

The 66-year-old commemorated the moment with a post on her Instagram with the caption, “Surprise!!! Happy Thanksgiving and a Happy Holiday everybody!”

Fans of the parade were surprised and happy to see the Emmy winner alongside Santa Claus on this year’s Christmas float. Some X, formerly known as Twitter, users tweeted their joy by sharing pictures of moments from Ralph’s appearance in addition to their support.

Witnessing the inclusion of a Black woman also made people feel hopeful and proud of Macy’s and NBC.

Ralph’s reveal helped pick the momentum of the parade up since the balloons got a bad review from fans as the Macy’s parade was called out for them looking partially inflated.

Even Bravo’s Andy Cohen called it out in his Instagram stories with the words, as reported by Parade: “No disrespect to Snoopy, but he seems like he’s skimming the street a little bit. I don’t know what the problem is here.”

He continued, “He needs to take wind a little bit. He’s a little droopy.”