Shonda Rhimes held hands with Cicely Tyson. Kelly Rowland gushed over Tracee Ellis Ross. Rihanna doled out hugs and snapped photos with young girls.
This high-profile group of singers, actors and cultural figures had gathered here on Friday night for the awards show for Black Girls Rock!, the organization that honors black women for their artistic and humanitarian achievements. This year it is celebrating its 10th anniversary.
The atmosphere of the awards show is part celebration, part family reunion, and offers a moment to pause. Started in 2006, the nonprofit group seeks to empower and mentor black girls while promoting the arts and challenging the often-negative and stereotypical ways in which women of color are portrayed in the media by holding up a different mirror. In 2010 it began holding a televised awards show with BET; Friday’s event will be broadcast on Tuesday.
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