essencemagazine
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Transcript
00:00You guys got me nervous, you guys look so beautiful in here.
00:09How's everybody doing tonight?
00:14As Essence celebrates 55 years of shaping culture and amplifying black women's voices,
00:20we are elated to introduce the Essence Luminary Spotlight Recognition.
00:25This honor is dedicated to a person or organization whose journey exemplifies resilience, longevity,
00:33and a profound impact on their community.
00:37Those who have not only shattered barriers, but have triumphed over obstacles, defied
00:43expectations, and navigated challenges with unwavering grace and determination, all while
00:50continuing to blaze new trails forward.
00:54The Essence Luminary Spotlight Recognition is an acknowledgment of endurance, a legacy
01:00built through hard-fought victories, and a light that continues to shine as a beacon
01:06for others.
01:08This recognition is the latest addition to the Essence Black Women in Hollywood franchise,
01:13and we look forward to honoring many amazing women under this franchise.
01:19But right now, on behalf of Essence, it is my absolute honor to present our first ever
01:26Luminary Spotlight Recognition to actress, model, producer, writer, and television personality,
01:37Miss Tyra Banks.
01:49Hi everybody, how's everybody doing?
02:12Good?
02:14Well, I am super touched, and I want to speak to one person in this room.
02:24And I'm going to try not to cry.
02:28I want to speak to my mother, and she's here.
02:31Mama, can you raise your hand and wave?
02:38I want to speak to my mama because one thing that you said is resilience.
02:45And that's not just me saying, oh yeah girl, you got knocked down, keep getting up.
02:50That was somebody pulling me up.
02:54Pulling me up.
02:57I remember, and for y'all that were born after 1995, there was a time when there were no
03:05cell phones.
03:08There was no Uber, there was none of that.
03:11And I can remember living in Paris, France as a young model, and going through hell.
03:18And I walked three blocks to a pay phone, and I called my mama and I said, I can't,
03:26I can't continue, I have to, I'm just coming home.
03:30And she says, I didn't raise a quitter.
03:34That is not what we do.
03:38And I kept going on because of you, mama.
03:43I was paid 90% less than somebody that was less known than me.
03:50And I cried and I said, mama, I'm not going to sign this, I can't sign this.
03:55And she says, you will sign that because perception is reality.
03:59So you're going to sign that, and you're going to be everywhere.
04:04And then that perception is going to make that next check worth what you are truly worth.
04:14And I signed it, shaken, and she was right.
04:21So thank you, mama.
04:26I want to thank Essence Magazine because I remember being a young model in Paris
04:33and getting a phone call that Essence Magazine wanted 19-year-old me on the cover of their magazine.
04:40And this, it brought me to tears because that was my Vogue.
04:45That was the magazine that was on our coffee table every single month.
04:53And then cut to October 2024 when I decided to step on that damn catwalk again for Victoria's Secret Miss Tiana Taylor.
05:08And I was like, am I just going to do this and just step away?
05:15But then Essence called again and said, we want you on the cover of our magazine.
05:23So I came out of modeling retirement on a runway with Victoria's Secret
05:28and came out of modeling retirement at 51 years old on the cover of Essence Magazine this month.
05:36I have dedicated my life to expanding the definition of beauty.
05:48Over 20 years ago, I created a television show called America's Next Top Model.
05:55And I fought, and you guys have no idea how hard we fought to bring the diversity to that television show at a time where it didn't exist.
06:08To show different beauties at a time when the world was like, what, you cast in that and what, and what is that?
06:16A time when people in the fashion industry were telling me, oh, you putting the girls in the hood on your show?
06:22I was like, why can't a girl from the trailer park become a supermodel?
06:26But the girl that's chilling in the park in the hood can't.
06:32And we fought and we struggled, but we made it happen.
06:36Did we get it right? Hell no, I said something dumb.
06:42But I refuse to have my legacy be about some stuff linked together on the Internet.
06:50When there were 24 cycles of changing the world.
06:59We all evolved.
07:03We all get better together.
07:07And I am so excited that I and so many of us has opened that door for others to follow.
07:16And now my 51-year-old dimple, cellulite, bigger tummy, 10 million times bigger titties is walking through that door that I opened with all of us behind us on that runway saying, baby, it's just beginning.
07:33Thank you so much, mama.