(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Michelle Obama declares Black Girls Rock! at event that honoured Jada Pinkett Smith and Erykah Badu among others
Michelle Obama on stage with Making A Difference award winners from left Kaya Thomas Chental-Song Bembry and Gabrielle Jordan during a taping of the Black Girls Rock award ceremony at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center on Saturday in Newark
Michelle Obama celebrated the beauty power and tenacity of black woman while spreading her own message of education for girls at Black Girls Rock! an annual event honouring trailblazing women of colour from all walks of life.
“No matter who you are no matter where you come from you are beautiful” Obama told the crowd which included many young black girls.
“I am so proud of you. My husband your president is so proud of you” she added. “We have so much hope and dreams for you.”
Obama was not among the honorees at Saturday night’s festivities held at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. That distinction went to actress Jada Pinkett Smith singer Erykah Badu actress Cicely Tyson Selma director Ava DuVernay educator Nadia Lopez and Dr. Helene D. Gayle president and CEO of CARE USA a humanitarian organisation.
However Obama was the most celebrated participant. Wearing a form-fitting white dress she jammed to performances from the likes of Badu Fantasia Sheila E! Estelle and others and applauding the honorees.
But Obama got among the night’s loudest ovations as she came on stage and declared “Black girls rock!” — the slogan and name of the organisation founded by Beverly Bond which is designed to uplift young black girls a group often disenfranchised and who often find it difficult to find positive and reaffirming images of themselves in the world.
Obama acknowledged as much in her speech to celebrate three young honorees.
“I know there are voices that you are not good enough” she said acknowledging that she often lacked self-confidence growing up despite encouraging parents.
“Each of those doubts was like a test” she said “that I either shrink away from or rise to meet. And I decided to rise.”
Obama who recently completed a trip to Japan and Cambodia as part of her worldwide push for better educational opportunities for girls lauded the young honorees for excelling in their studies.
“There is nothing more important than being serious about your education” the Ivy League-educated Obama said. “That’s why I am able to stand here tonight. ... I want every one of our black girls do to the same and our black boys.”
Obama’s speech was just one of many highlights of the nearly four-hour event which will be shown on April 5 on BET.
Will Smith gave an emotional tribute to wife Jada Pinkett who received the Star Power award. Smith alluded to persistent rumours that the couple’s marriage was in trouble.
He said when one rumour got out of control he had a chance of reflection.
“In that brief moment my heart jumped for a second and I started to imagine what my life would have been like without that woman” he said as the couple’s daughter Willow beamed from the audience.
When Pinkett Smith accepted the honour she alluded to recent slights of black girls and women — including a college baseball player’s slur against Little League pitcher Mo’ne Davis — as reasons why Black Girls Rock! is necessary.
She also implored black women to celebrate and be aware of their own strength.
“I need you to understand that we are the women who marched from cotton fields into fields of medicine ... politics ... entertainment” she said. “We have found a way to march into a White House.”
Tyson also spoke to the resiliency of black women as she accepted her legacy award from hosts actresses Tracee Ellis Ross and Regina King.
“The moment anyone tries to demean or degrade you in any way you have to know how great you are” Tyson said.
DuVernay whose civil rights drama Selma received an Academy Award nomination making her the first black woman to notch such an achievement name-checked a host of other black filmmakers in her speech as she accepted her Shot Caller award and implored women to “figure out what you need to do to be the heroine of your own story.”
The show peppered songs from entertainers like Jill Scott Estelle and others with inspiring stories from the award winners.
One of the members of the group Sister Sledge sang the song We Are Family.
And sisterhood was the spirit of the evening evident when Obama came on stage to close the show with all the honorees. When an embarrassed King flubbed a line Obama gave her a hug and then jokingly rubbed her back.
The actress and director then shouted with glee “I’ve got Mrs. Obama pumping me up!”