“Ebony Magazine held its annual Ebony Power 100 Gala, recognizing industry leaders in music, media, business, entertainment, sports and more at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles on Nov. 4. Actress and comedian Robin Thede hosted the event, which featured performances by Ari Lennox and Lucky Daye and honored Tracee Ellis Ross, Teyana Taylor, Shaquille”, — write: www.hollywoodreporter.com
Ava DuVernay spoke to the current political climate in her presentation of the Humanitarian Award to Bunch III, the fourteenth secretary of the Smithsonian and the first African American and first historian to serve as head of the Institution.
“As he leads the Smithsonian, he stands at the center of a storm,” the Oscar-nominated director began. “Dark forces are moving against him. People who despise truth because it unmasks their myths. They call history divisive, and they call honesty unpatriotic and they want museums emptied of context and classrooms emptied of complexity and they want want us empty of courage. But Dr. Bunch stands firm. He refuses to let the story of America be stripped of its heart and its struggle and its grace, and it’s a hard fight,” said DuVernay. “Tonight, I want to thank Ebony for recognizing this hero who doesn’t walk red carpets or pose under spotlights, but he fights every day for the soul of our shared story.”
Ross reunited with Girlfriends co-stars Jill Marie Jones, Persia White and Golden Brooks, who presented her with the Pathbreaker of the Year award, recognizing her longevity onscreen and business savvy as the founder of Pattern Beauty.
“Earlier this year, I launched Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross on Roku channel, and I was delighted to find how deeply it resonated with people, like Pattern,” Ross said in her acceptance speech. “This show was my way of filling a gap in how we see ourselves in the world. The show is an invitation to experience your life fully on your own terms, and to choose yourself again and again and again. I tell you all of this to say, please do not wait for something, somewhere or someone, in order to experience all that’s possible for your life. Dream big and intentionally, and work hard to make those dreams come true. And even when they don’t go as you had planned, or hoped or wished, or as the world had prescribed to you, choose to live joyfully. This is my life philosophy.
“I refuse to shrink myself or wait for permission to live a meaningful and adventurous life,” Ross continued. “And as I’ve said before, and as my life has proven, you don’t have to push out a baby to help push humanity forward. You don’t have to be partnered in order to have a fulfilling life. I cultivate pleasure and delight at the same time that I’m staying open for someone’s dusty son,” she joked. “I’m just kidding about the dusty. I’ve done enough dust. I’m open and I’m available for my life and my partner and other blessings that might lead me on the path. So Ebonyif by Pathbreaker you mean me joining the ever-expanding forest of Black women owning our legacies and being of service to our communities with the things that we do, then I accept this with great humility on behalf of all of us. And just so you know, I’m just getting started.”
One Battle After Another star Taylor tearfully accepted the Entertainer of the Year Award presented to her by Taraji P. Henson with a prayer expressing gratitude to God for her daughters with ex-husband Iman Shumpert and her current partner, Aaron Pierre.
“Thank you for placing the right people around me, the perfect energy, the perfect village, my babies, my parents, my husband, my reps at WME, my reps at my label Def Jam, all my family and friends that I love and respect so much,” said Taylor. “Thank you for loving me the way you do. Thank you for holding me down. I don’t take it lightly, and I don’t take it for granted. God, in the name of Jesus, gives all the glory. And y’all tonight get all my love.”
Shaq accepted the Junior Bridgeman Entrepreneur of the Year Award from sports agent and Klutch Sports Group founder Rich Paul, named in honor of the former basketball player who, in 2020, acquired Ebony and Jet magazines. Bridgeman died in March of this year at the age of 71.
“I’ve been fortunate to accomplish a lot in my career,” O’Neal began. “These days, my focus is on carrying that same spirit forward, building strong partnerships and creating lasting ventures, and surrounding myself with people who share my same visions for growth, impact and integrity. For me, it’s about building things that stand the test of time and open doors for the future generation. To the young people in the room coming up, remember this, talent can open the door, but character, discipline and how you treat people are what keep it open.”
Love Island‘s Carthan provided a virtual acceptance speech for her People’s Choice Award while Iman accepted the final honor of the night, the Icon Award, presented to her by former Teen Vogue editor-in-chief Elaine Welteroth.
“When I first stepped into this industry, I was told that beauty had a strict code, that success meant fitting into the mold of someone else’s desire, but I’ve always held the belief that our power as women comes from the fact that we don’t fit,” said Iman. “We expand and receive. We create, we redefine and rebirth. Now, as you all know, I’ve been the woman combining foundations and lipsticks in the mirror to meet her match. I’ve been the woman sitting in rooms being told diversity doesn’t sell, and I’ve also been the woman that will build something with intentionality, with community and most important unification, and ultimately with a fierce belief that every shade deserves to be separate.
You see, representation isn’t about visibility. It’s about land and recognition. It’s about our daughters seeing themselves in spaces that weren’t designed to include them in the conversation and knowing that they belong there. It’s about rewriting the narrative that beauty is a single vision. I stand here tonight because of my ancestral team, women who taught me that beauty is not something you change. It’s something you inhabit, and I hope that when the next generation looks at my journey, they don’t just see the triumphs and values. I hope they see proof. Proof that we can lead industries, proof that we can build empires, proof that we can be strong and soft, bold and tender, visionary and human all at once. To every woman who has ever been told she’s too dark, too light, too loud, too much, remember this, the world’s definitions were never written for you. You were never meant to fit in. You were meant to stand out.”