Viola Davis - Viola Davis Addresses Graduating Seniors At Alma Mater

The Help star thrilled students at Central Falls High with her uplifting speech, in which she urged them to never give up on their dreams.

And she recalled one bad memory from her school days - she once challenged a classmate to a race after he called her a racially derogatory name.

Using the story to get over her inspirational message, Davis, who received her diploma in 1983, told the students that she and the racist boy tied in the race - but the outcome didn't matter.

She explained, "You gotta be in the race, no matter what. Win or lose."