Black Girls Rock Awards Ceremony

Now, Toni mentioned a BGR event that is taking place on Friday, but I'm going to give you the breakdown of who is being honored at the awards ceremony, courtesy of a BGR boardmember.
~Bettina

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THE 2ND ANNUAL BLACK GIRLS ROCK! AWARDS SHOW CELEBRATES WOMEN OF COLOR AT STAR-STUDDED GALA

BGR! Teams Up With VH1 During Hip Hop Honors Weekend To Celebrate Exceptional Women Of Color

World renowned celebrity DJ and Philanthropist,

Beverly Bond, has enlisted a cadre of some of the biggest bold faced names in entertainment to join her in recognizing exceptional women of color who have made outstanding contributions in their careers and communities. Esteemed actresses Regina King and Gabrielle Union will join forces as co-hosts of the 2nd Annual 2007 BLACK GIRLS ROCK! Awards, taking place Saturday October 6th, 2007, 8:00 PM in the Allen Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Sponsored by CoverGirl Queen Collection, VH1 Hip Hop Honors, bluhammock music, Jordan Brand, Akademiks, GIANT Magazine and METRO, this year’s growing list of presenters include breakout superstar and COVERGIRL spokesmodel Rihanna, R&B heartthrob Mario, pop-star Mya, philanthropist/poet/artist Danny Simmons, hip-hop pioneer MC Lyte, R&B princess Ashanti, and Bad Boy recording artist and actress in the upcoming Disney film “Step Up 2,” Cassie. Other presenters include music mogul Andre Harrell, Hip-Hop legend and icon KRS-One, Rain Pryor, NAACP Image Award winning actress, author, MS Avocate and daughter of legendary comedian Richard Pryor, philanthropist and former model Bethann Hardison, “The Wire’s” Sonja Sohn, Discovery Home Channel celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson and more.

Some of the featured awards & recipients are:
· BLACK GIRLS ROCK! ‘Social Humanitarian Award’- Susan Taylor, Editorial Director and the driving force behind ESSENCE Magazine, a staunch advocate for the nation's poor and dedicated to moving the Black community forward.
· BLACK GIRLS ROCK! ‘Monument Award’- The Rutgers Women’s Basketball Team, having endured the highly publicized slight and the media firestorm that followed, held their own and emerged gracefully from what will be remembered as a catalyst for historical change in mainstream media.
· BLACK GIRLS ROCK! ‘Corporate Award’- Sylvia Rhone, music mogul and pioneer, is largely regarded as one of the most influential female executives in the history of the music business.
· BLACK GIRLS ROCK! ‘COVERGIRL QUEEN Who Got Next Award’ - Newcomer Def Jam songbird Chrisette Michele, who burst on the scene this year with her raw energy and soulful sound, is scheduled to perform.
· BLACK GIRLS ROCK! “DJ JAZZY JOYCE” Award - DJ Diamond Kuts who at the age of 24 has already made history by being the first and only female mixer on Philadelphia radio.
· BLACK GIRLS ROCK! ‘Soul Sista Award’ - Marsha Ambrosius “The Songstress” of the hit making duo Floetry who recently embarked on a solo career is also scheduled to perform.
· BLACK GIRLS ROCK! ‘Creative Visionary Award’ – 5 Time Grammy Winner, Missy Elliott, is one of the most prominent contemporary female entertainers of our time.
· BLACK GIRLS ROCK! ‘Fashionista Award’ – Designer Tracy Reese epitomizes “feminine chic” with her eponymous collection, Tracy Reese, and her fanciful line, Plenty, both of which have been fashion favorites since their inception.
· BLACK GIRLS ROCK! ‘Community Outreach Award’ - Fox 5 Investigative Reporter and Hot 97 Street Soldier, Lisa Evers, a journalist and nationally regarded community activist is dedicated to addressing issues that affect the urban community at large through her weekly talk show.
· BLACK GIRLS ROCK! ‘Soul Brother # 1 Award’ - Hip hop artist, Common is best known for songs that focus on spirituality, poverty, and other issues to do with social awareness.

Also performing on Lincoln Center’s world class stage will be country crooning newcomer Rissi Palmer, a rising Black female country star, Jean Baylor formerly of the hit R&B duo Zhane, and J Records rising star Emily King.

“We are proud and humbled to have such strong, beautiful and powerful women involved with this event,” says Beverly Bond Founder and President of BGR! “In light of the media’s constant focus on the negative depiction of Black women it is so very important that Black Girls Rock! takes the time to shine a much needed light on our Sheroes.”
About Black Girls Rock!, Inc.

BLACK GIRLS ROCK! INC. is a 501c3 nonprofit, youth empowerment mentoring organization established for young women of color as a reaction to the often seen negative images consistently imprinted upon women of color expressly in mass media. BLACK GIRLS ROCK! Inc.’s mission is to promote the arts and to encourage positive life changing activity, critical thinking, and dialogue about the images of women in our present day culture. BLACK GIRLS ROCK! seeks to build the self-esteem and self-worth of young women of color by changing their outlook on life, broadening their horizons, and helping them to empower themselves. The name alone is an AFFIRMATION! BLACK GIRLS ROCK! has boldly taken on the crisis of our female youth of color here in America head on and understands the need for positive self-images and a strong sense of awareness. WE SEE SOLUTIONS.

For tickets and more information on Black Girls Rock! and the Black Girls Rock! Awards, visit www.blackgirlsrockinc.com/awards.

Until next time...

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