Posted by | Ray Cornelius
Let’s hear it for the boys…
2013 was indeed a banner year for Black actors in Hollywood. Chiwetel Ejiofor, Forest Whitaker, David Oyelowo, Idris Elba and Michael B. Jordan all starred in the year’s most talked about films and will most likely be recognized for their groundbreaking work during the 2014 ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood event in February.
According to S&A/Indie Wire, ESSENCE is adding an additional event, Black Men in Hollywood that will recognize the outstanding achievements of Black actors. The luncheon will take place on February 26 in L.A. and is hosted by the very sexy Tracee Ellis Ross.
The Black Women in Hollywood event will take place the next day, Feb. 27 at the Beverly Hills Hotel and will honor 12 Years a Slave star Lupita Nyong’o (Best Breakthrough Performance); Cheryl Boone Isaacs (Trailblazer Award) and Ava DuVernay (Visionary Award). The luncheon will also pay homage to performers who were Champions of the Civil Rights Movement including Diahann Carroll, Nichelle Nichols, Jim Brown, Denise Nicholas and Clarence Williams III.
“2013 was an extraordinary year of breakthroughs in Hollywood, with the naming of Cheryl Boone Isaacs as the first African-American president of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, the emergence of gifted actor Lupita Nyong’o as a rising star, Ava DuVernay’s Sundance, Spirit and Tribeca award wins, and the prominence of African-American leading men who created roles that displayed our diversity and humanity,” said ESSENCE Editor-in-Chief, Vanessa K. Bush. “During the 50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, ESSENCE remains committed to honoring excellence in media both in front of and behind the camera.”
ESSENCE fans and readers will also get a chance to be a part of the experience this year by logging on to their website, ESSENCE.com on February 27 at 11:30 a.m. PST/2:30 p.m. EST to see all the red carpet action and exclusive interviews. The March “Hollywood issue” will also be available on newsstands February 7.
Photo Credit: CommunityJournal.net