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00:00Please welcome your host, actor, producer, entrepreneur,
00:03and star of the hit prime show, Alex Cross, Aldis Hodge.
00:07My people, my people, what is happening with y'all today?
00:12Hello, everybody.
00:13Welcome to the 18th Annual Essence Black Women
00:16in Hollywood Awards.
00:19I'm your host, Aldis Hodge.
00:22I'm very excited to be here to celebrate
00:25four talented, brilliant black women who
00:28are leaving an unforgettable mark on Hollywood
00:30through their work in film and television.
00:33But I got to let you know, when I got the call
00:36that I was invited to host, first thing I thought was,
00:41y'all sure y'all got the right guy?
00:44I mean, did y'all mean to call Kevin Hart
00:48and accidentally got me?
00:50You know what I'm saying?
00:51I didn't understand it.
00:52Was it because y'all put me on the Essence cover recently?
00:59Had your boy out there.
01:00I'm just out there, you know, got my cheeks out
01:03on full display.
01:03Is that why?
01:05No, let me tell you about it.
01:06Look, that day, I took about 1,000 pictures, OK?
01:09I was out there, huh, huh, huh, huh, bam, killing it.
01:15They didn't let me see the cover.
01:17They wanted to surprise me.
01:18All of a sudden, I start hearing a lot of online buzz,
01:21talking about, oh, he got guns and buns.
01:24I said, what the hell?
01:26And then I look at the cover.
01:27Y'all, I don't know if y'all seen the cover.
01:29They got your mans like this.
01:36I ain't mad at it.
01:37You know what I'm saying?
01:38I'm not mad at it.
01:39I just didn't know.
01:40I don't remember taking that picture.
01:42I don't.
01:44But what I realized is I was going
01:46through a little bit of imposter syndrome, you know?
01:48Because I don't know if y'all see y'all.
01:50This room is made for me.
01:52Y'all see y'all.
01:53This room is major.
01:54Every single one of you, every single one of you
01:56is absolutely major, iconic, legendary, right?
02:00And I didn't know if I was good enough to stand before you.
02:03You know what I'm saying?
02:04Look, look, we got Tyra Banks up in here, y'all.
02:13Hello, nice to meet you.
02:16I don't want to be the dude that says the wrong thing
02:18and, like, trips down the stairs.
02:20And then I get that call from Tyra,
02:21I was rooting for you.
02:23We was all rooting for you.
02:26I don't want that call.
02:28But then I realized my fear started making me
02:32forget where I was coming to.
02:34I was coming to a room full of not only my people,
02:38but black women.
02:39Black women, black women who have historically
02:47and consistently been the backbone of progressive change
02:52in this country, have been the foundation of support
02:55for our culture, our community, and specifically for black men.
02:59So I forgot that I was coming to a room full of support.
03:10So I'll be standing here with you today
03:13with my very own essence cover, with my cheeks
03:15on full display.
03:17I have to say, it's truly an honor, a privilege,
03:21and I thank you so much for having me.
03:27Now, for nearly two decades, this room right here
03:30has been a space unlike any other.
03:32It's been a room filled with love.
03:33It's been a room filled with gratitude.
03:35It's been a room filled with promise.
03:37It's a room bubbling over with what was before, what is now,
03:42and what will be for the future of black women in Hollywood.
03:45Now, this celebration was born out
03:47of a desire to create a space where we can come together
03:49and recognize decades of excellence
03:53that black women have brought to Hollywood
03:55from both film, camera, behind the scenes,
03:58in front of the scenes, behind, doing everything, OK?
04:00Because look, let's face it.
04:02That's just what we do, y'all.
04:03That's what we do.
04:04We lift each other up.
04:05We hold each other down.
04:07And we do it as only we can.
04:10The only power that opposition has
04:13is that which you believe and that which you allow it.
04:17So never forget your own power.
04:19You always stand to be bigger than opposition, always.
04:24And if you ever get fatigued, tired, lose your faith,
04:28look to your left, look to your right,
04:29and then pull out that little pocket mirror
04:31that you use to powder your nose, look at yourself.
04:35We are the answer.
04:36You are the answer.
04:37Unity and community, that is the answer.
04:39That is why we are here today.
04:41I'm going to tell you something.
04:43Can't stay in that word minority,
04:45because look at the attraction of our history as a people.
04:49We have never been minor in any capacity.
04:53Not minor in influence, efficacy, contribution,
04:59accolades, capability, capability, capability,
05:06capability, capability, capability, capability,
05:11capability, everything that opposes us,
05:14we are capable of tearing down, restructuring,
05:18and repurposing through love, light, hope,
05:22that which we are as a people.
05:24Never let anybody make you forget
05:27your true value and your power.
05:29All right, these honorees this year are a testament
05:32to just how far dreams can take you
05:34when you make the decision to pick up your purpose
05:37and never look back.
05:38Like the writer, creator, showrunner of the hit drama
05:45Reasonable Doubt, OK?
05:46OK.
05:47OK.
05:48OK.
05:49OK.
05:50OK.
05:50OK.
05:51OK.
05:52Whose work, whose work continues to broaden
05:56the spectrum of possibility for narratives
05:58elevating untold and underrepresented
06:00Black experiences.
06:02She is also known as the Ramla Mohammed.
06:06Or the young icon who is a living proof
06:09of what it looks like to let authenticity lead the way
06:11as you perfect your craft without limitations.
06:16Actress, singer, dancer, director,
06:20a hell of a performer, because you got moves, OK?
06:23The modern day renaissance woman, Miss Teyana Taylor.
06:27Now how about the once in a lifetime powerhouse
06:31whose magic just continues to wow us
06:33one unforgettable performance at a time?
06:37This person literally embodied Black girl magic,
06:39put it on the world stage, let them know.
06:42She said, you're going to get these micro braids.
06:45You're going to get these micro braids,
06:46and then you're going to get these micro braids.
06:49And then you're going to get these micro braids,
06:51and then you're going to get these micro braids.
06:53And then you're going to get these micro braids.
06:55going to get these micro braids, OK?
07:00You're going to get all these micro braids.
07:02Don't get what you don't get, OK?
07:04I'm talking about the actress, the singer, the songwriter,
07:08the producer, Miss Cynthia Erivo.
07:10And y'all know by the time this airs,
07:21she may very well have added EGOT to that list of accolades.
07:27You know we're pulling for you.
07:29We're pulling for you.
07:30And Amy-nominated actress, singer, writer, comedian,
07:34and activist whose career achievements
07:36opened so many doors in film, television, music, and beyond,
07:39opened so many doors for those of us in this room right here.
07:43Our very own national treasure and black Hollywood
07:45matriarch, the legendary Miss Marla Gibbs.
07:49Welcome, everyone.
07:57Now look, I know we ready to get the show
07:59started and everything.
08:00But first, I have a very special message to share.
08:03Last month, the Hollywood community,
08:05we know we were all hit with one of the most
08:07devastating disasters in our country's history.
08:10The fact that it happened right at the brink of this award
08:12season, just as many of us were just
08:14ready to start congratulating everybody's wins,
08:17that we are bound by so much stronger than the zip codes
08:22that separate us, right?
08:24And we all strive to remain true
08:26to the resilient spirit of culture and community
08:28that continues to carry us through that tragedy.
08:30I'd like to acknowledge a few very special guests
08:32in the room who were impacted by those wildfires.
08:35I want us to give a round of applause
08:37for Pasadena resident and NAACP member Juanita West-Tillman.
08:41Hey, Ms. Tillman.
08:52Pasadena resident and owner of Octavia's Bookshelf,
08:56Nikki High.
09:03And Altadena resident, Zaire Calvin.
09:12Just thank you all.
09:13Thank you so much for being here today.
09:15We are with y'all.
09:16Trust, we are with you.