Black Girls Rock! had their 10th annual award show on April 5, 2016 that honored some amazing women such as Rhianna, Amandla Stenberg, Gladys Knight, Shonda Rhimes and many more. It was a night of empowerment and inspiration. A night of sisterhood that could not be matched. Black Girls Rock! is more than an awards show, it is actually a nonprofit youth empowerment and mentoring organization that promotes the arts for young women of color. They also seek to build self-esteem and self-worth for these young women. This is an organization that should be praised and brought into light; awarding women of color and letting them know their worth is something that is not done enough in our society. The award show was a night where women of color could come together and celebrate each other.
“I started Black Girls Rock! because I love us and I believe in us. I want us to walk confidently in our authentic truth and I want us to be free,” said Founder of Black Girls Rock! DJ Beverly Bond.
During the ceremony many inspiring women were honored. Amandla Stenberg was awarded with the Young, Black and Gifted award for her bravery in speaking out about race and identity. Stenberg says in her acceptance speech, “My blackness does not inhibit me from being beautiful and intelligent. In fact, it is the reason I am beautiful and intelligent. And you cannot stop me.”
Courtesy: The Cut
Stenberg wasn’t the only one who delivered a speech filled with truth. Shonda Rhimes and Rhianna both left us with words to ponder as well.
Rhimes told us, “Don’t look up here to us, put us in your rearview mirror. Change the world. Then change it again.” She also says, “You are the builders of the 21st century.”
These women are incredible in their own right and to know that they have the confidence in us to carry on their legacy is truly an honor, let us hope we don’t let them down. Now, we can’t forget Rhianna. She was extremely thankful in her speech, even giving a direct shout out to Beverly Bond saying, “Thank you so much for celebrating us in a world that doesn’t celebrate us enough.” She went on to say that she does nothing but be herself and that she doesn’t know how not to. “The minute you learn to love yourself, you would not want to be anybody else,” she says. If that’s not inspiring, I don’t know what is.
All the women honored at the show are truly the best role models for young women of color. Not only are they talented within their field but they also fight for what they believe.
“To all the black girls all over the world,” Bond said, “Own your magic, walk in your purpose and rock your truth.” Bond may have simply started an amazing organization, but what she really did was give young women of color a voice. Society tends to knock us down and we will no longer continue to let it happen.
As Rihanna said, “All girls rock. Black girls… we just on another level.”