New York City has its very own Laverne Cox Day, and this speech shows why

June 22 is now officially Laverne Cox Day in New York City.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, made the surprise announcement on Thursday when the actress made an appearance at his official residence, Gracie Mansion.

"Can you believe that a black transgender woman from Mobile, Alabama, raised by a single mother has a day in New York City named after her?" Cox said to a cheering audience once she took the mic.

Cox then went onto describe coming to the city for college, and thanked the community organizations that nurtured her journey of self-discovery along the way. "I've been so blessed, but we have to remember that there are so many New Yorkers like me who are not as lucky, who are not able to live out their dreams," she said.

Cox then called attention to what she sees as much needed reforms in policing and civil liberties in the United States. That included a call honoring Philando Castile and advocating for transgender bathroom protections.

Here's the speech in its entirety, which was posted to Cox's official YouTube page:

"Many of us were reeling when we saw the dashcam footage of the murder of Philando Castile by a police officer in Minneapolis," Cox said. "It made me think again about the extreme police violence that so many people of color experience in this country. LGBTQ people are people of color as well. We stand at the intersection of multiple identities — ability, race, class and gender."