-New Urban Media- Video highlights from BET'S "BLACK GIRLS ROCK" Awards, Featuring Salutes to Black Female Movers & Shakers in Entertainment, Business, Science, & Social Activism

As the slow crawl to fall awards season begins, this past weekend the Black Entertainment Television network aired its annual presentation, "BLACK GIRLS ROCK!", to celebrate the outstanding achievements of black American women and women of the African diaspora in the areas of arts, entrepreneurship, sciences, and community service. 

Created by celebrity DJ and former model Beverly Bond, Black Girls Rock is a New York-based non-profit organization that mentors teens between the ages of 13-17 years old, with a mission offer young women of color tools and resources to become dynamic leaders, public servants, and innovators. Their programs are led by world-class educators, scientists, entertainers, artists, business moguls,  and other influencers, and include annual teen conferences open to teens of color around the world- conferences "designed to cultivate leadership skills, and create a safe space for fellowship and sisterhood".

In that same spirit of leadership, public service, and sisterhood, each year the BLACK GIRLS ROCK! awards ceremony honors six women of note within the realms of music, entertainment, media, fine or theater arts, medicine, business, and or social activism.  This year's honored celebrants are singer/actress Mary J. Blige (STAR POWER AWARD), television writer/producer Lena Waithe   (SHOT CALLER AWARD),  Alvin Ailey muse & Artistic Director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Company Theater, Judith Jamison (LIVING LEGEND AWARD), 30-year fashion industry supermodel & entrepreneur  Naomi Cambell (BLACK GIRL MAGIC AWARD),  #MeToo Movement founder Tarana Burke (COMMUNITY CHANGE AGENT AWARD),  pop music icon Janet Jackson (ROCKSTAR AWARD), and a surprise award to Dr. Mareena Robinson, PhD - nuclear engineer (TECH AWARD).

Presenters for the evening were veteran television actress and producer  Phylicia Rashad, director Ava DuVernay,  actress Merle Dandridge (from OWN TV's "Greenleaf"), music star Ciara, ABT Prima Ballerina Misty Copeland, and young actress/activist Amandla Stenberg. The performances for the evening opened with the first of tributes to the dearly departed Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, courtesy of Fantasia.  Other performers for the evening were folksy newcomer Victory Boyd, neo-soul singer/songwriter, H.E.R., adult contemporary artist Tamia, gospel artist Yolanda Adams featuring Alvin Ailey soloist Jacqueline Green, and spoken word poetry by rap artist Rapsody.   The ending tribute to Aretha Franklin, what many hail as THE proper tribute after some rather "shaky" attempts by other awards shows, featured seamless performances by vocal powerhouses Jazmine Sullivan, Ledisi, Nigerian-born Broadway star Cynthia Erivo ("The Color Purple"),  R&B music veteran Stephanie Mills, and a church selection from Yolanda Adams. The evening closed with a special message from the woman now often dubbed "America's Forever First Lady", Michelle Obama.  

Check out the show, practically in full below, courtesy BET NETWORKS YouTube channel: