[UPDATE] Urban One Announces Honorees For Annual ‘URBAN ONE HONORS’
Cathy Hughes, Urban One Founder and Chairwoman, has announced the honorees for the annual URBAN ONE HONORS, which heralds the exemplary accomplishments of African American women. This year’s commemoration of excellence will air on TV One on Sunday, May 16, 2021, at 9 p.m. ET/8C and simulcast for the first time on its sister network CLEO TV.
This year’s theme is “Women Leading the Change,” and the program will recognize the myriad achievements of women leaders who are blazing trails and creating new pathways for others in their respective areas of expertise.
The URBAN ONE HONORS class of 2021 honorees in business, media, health, and politics include:
VOTING RIGHTS CHAMPION: Stacey Abrams
Voting rights activist and New York Times bestselling author Stacey Abrams’ dedicated efforts through her organizations New Georgia Project and Fair Fight have helped to restructure the political landscape by garnering awareness for heightened voter suppression efforts, protecting the votes of underrepresented communities, and successfully executing a grassroots movement focused on turning out Georgia voters in record numbers.
INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM CRUSADER: Nikole Hannah-Jones
Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Nikole Hannah-Jones is reframing the national conversation by covering the impediments and contributions made by Black Americans. Through her 1619 Project, published in the New York Times Magazine, Hannah-Jones continues to push past the obstacle of reframing the country’s history by placing the lasting impact of slavery and contributions of Black Americans at the center of the national conversation and educational curriculum.
HEALTH EQUALITY ADVOCATE – Dr. Ala Stanford
Founder of The Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium, Dr. Ala Stanford, is a healthcare champion who answered the call to eliminate institutional barriers preventing healthcare to those in her community. She is a staunch advocate for healthcare equality. Her work to mobilize the Black community and help it understand the need and urgency to vaccinate against Covid-19 reaches beyond the U.S. to Haiti, which has not yet begun to vaccinate its population.
BUSINESS ALCHEMIST – Rosalind Brewer
CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance Rosalind Brewer is the third African American female executive selected to lead a Fortune 500 company. She has successfully broken the “glass ceiling” to blaze trails in corporate America at companies like Starbucks and Sam’s Club. Brewer is a distinguished and experienced executive who has led organizations globally through periods of changing consumer behavior by applying innovation that elevates customer experiences – ultimately driving significant and sustainable growth and value creation.
FAMILY NEEDS AMBASSADOR – Kim Ford
As President and CEO of Martha’s Table, Kim R. Ford leads the organization in its mission to support strong children, strong families, and strong communities in Washington D.C. Ford previously served in the Obama Administration’s Recovery Implementation Office, where she helped lead efforts to implement the $350 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to ignite the economy.
REPARATIONS AMBASSADOR – Robin Rue Simmons
As a civic entrepreneur and alderman of Evanston’s 5th Ward, Robin Rue Simmons, is working to break down systemic racism and barriers that hold the Black community back. Rue Simmons brought to the table the item “A Resolution Establishing a City of Evanston Funding Source Devoted to Local Reparation.” Its central provision diverts tax revenue from cannabis sales for local reparations. Her nimble political maneuvering and effort to get people to rethink what reparations mean can serve as a lesson on how to succeed in the long fight for reparations.
In commemoration of Urban One Honors, Radio One will promote its “Hometown Sheroes” initiative, honoring women of distinction in all 13 of its urban markets. Listeners will be encouraged to visit their local Radio One station website to nominate local “Hometown Sheroes,” ladies making a difference to enhance the lives of others in their communities. These sheroes include teachers, first responders, volunteers, and community activists. A panel of in-house judges will select one “Hometown Shero” from each market. The winner will receive on-air recognition in their respective market and on its digital platform, an award presented by station management, and recognition on the national Urban One Honors website.
Urban One Honors Celebrates Women Leading the Change trailer:
‘URBAN ONE HONORS’ To Celebrate Women Change-Leaders; Erica Campbell, Roland Martin Host
Published March 20, 2021
The annual URBAN ONE HONORS heralds the exemplary accomplishments of African American women. Now in its third year, URBAN ONE HONORS was created to acknowledge and pay homage to individuals and organizations whose work significantly impacts society and culture. This year’s theme is “Women Leading the Change” and will highlight the extraordinary contributions of women in business, media, health, politics, leading to impactful change within the Black community. Grammy-Award-winning gospel artist, author, and syndicated radio personality Erica Campbell and award-winning journalist, author, and news anchor Roland Martin will host the event. This year’s tribute show will premiere on Sunday, May 16, 2021, at 9 p.m. ET/8C. It will be simulcast for the first time on the sister network CLEO TV.
URBAN ONE HONORS will also pay a special homage to the International Sweethearts of Rhythm, the boundary-breaking, all-female jazz band. Helen Jones Woods, the mother of Urban One Founder, Cathy Hughes, was a founding member of the group. The Sweethearts band comprised 18 ethnically diverse members who overcame discrimination, racism, and sexism to become symbols of success in the face of adversity. Five special musical performances will be dedicated to The Sweethearts’ throughout the awards ceremony, with each song celebrating the jazz ensemble through electrifying performances of their hit singles with a modern twist.
“I am thrilled to co-host this year’s URBAN ONE HONORS with Roland Martin,” said Erica Campbell. “I love anything that celebrates and exemplifies Black excellence, and I am grateful to Cathy Hughes and Radio One for continuing to honor our peers for doing the work that uplifts and inspires our community.”
“Black women played a crucial role in saving our democracy in 2020,” remarked Roland Martin. “Not just in the election, but also on the ground in numerous cities fighting for freedom. I’m proud to join Urban One in honoring these American sheroes.”
This year’s URBAN ONE HONORS will commemorate the myriad achievements of women leaders who are blazing trails and creating new pathways for others in their respective areas of expertise. Categories of recognition reflect the tireless effort and triumphant accomplishments achieved by the honorees and include: Voting Rights Champion, dedicated to a fearless leader whose efforts help to build political infrastructure by turning out voters and protecting their votes; Business Alchemist, presented to a leader tapped for successfully breaking the glass ceiling to blaze new trails in corporate America; Investigative Journalism Crusader bestowed upon a media maven who is reframing the national conversation by covering the impediments and contributions made by Black Americans; Health Equality Advocate, awarded to a champion of health who answered the call to eliminate institutional barriers preventing healthcare to those in her community; Reparations Ambassador who is working to break down systemic racism and barriers that have held African Americans back; and the Family Needs Ambassador, presented to a resilient provider of direct service and resources to individuals in crisis within the community she serves. The inspiring night of excellence will also feature exciting musical performances, unprecedented collaborations, and surprise appearances to be announced in the coming months.
URBAN ONE HONORS is executive produced for TV One by Eric Tomosunas, Robert Boyd of Swirl Films, and Jazz Smollett. Susan Henry serves as Executive Producer for TV One. Kashon Powell, Vice President of Programming for Radio One, and Donyell Kennedy-McCullough is Senior Director of Talent and Casting. Robyn Greene Arrington is Vice President of Original Programming and Production.