Mahershala Ali has a lot to celebrate this week.

On top of welcoming a daughter with wife, Amatus Sami-Karim, on Sunday, Ali became the first ever Muslim actor to win an Academy Award. He won for his role in the film "Moonlight."

During his emotional acceptance speech, Ali took a moment to thank his "wonderful teachers and professors" and shared some advice he learned from them.

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"It's not about you, it's about these characters," he said. "You are a servant. You're in service to these stories and these characters."

Ali also thanked Sami-Karim, who stood by his side during her third trimester of pregnancy with daughter Bari Najma Ali throughout all of award season.

"I just want to thank her for being a soldier through it all and carrying me through this process," he said.

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Take a Halloween Hike at the Chattahoochee Nature Center on Friday through Sunday and meet animals along the way. (Courtesy of Chattahoochee Nature Center)

Credit: Photo courtesy of Chattahoochee Nature Center

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Peggy Harris (foreground) stocks the shelves at Sandy's IGA, which is the only grocery store in town, Tuesday, October 7, 2025, in Sparta. Hancock County has one of the highest rates of childhood food insecurity in the country. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC