ESSENCE, the number one media brand aimed at African-American women, today unveiled plans to join forces with award-winning producer, director, actor, writer, and philanthropist tyler perry on February 26, 2014 for Black Men in Hollywood, a remarkable celebration during OSCAR� week. The event will salute the exceptional work of breakthrough and trailblazing performers and visionaries who contributed to the industry’s most heralded films.”Throughout the year, Essence has chronicled the multitude of extraordinary performances and unforgettable moments in the pages of the magazine and on Essence.com,” commented Essence Editor-in-Chief Vanessa K. Bush. “To be invited by our friend tyler perry to partner in this intimate celebration of Black cinema during OSCAR� week is especially significant, as we salute some of the most powerful, authentic and multi-dimensional images we’ve seen on screen�images that serve to inspire our young men of color.”The intimate celebration will also spotlight The California Endowment’s influential Sons & Brothers (#sonsandbrothers) campaign, which acknowledges those stand-out achievers who are vital role models for young men of color.
Black Men in Hollywood will precede ESSENCE’s annual Black Women in Hollywood luncheon, which returns to the Beverly Hills Hotel on February 27, 2014 to recognize the incredible triumphs of trailblazing women in film and television. The event will honor three of the year’s most impactful and inspiring talents, both in front of the camera and behind-the-scenes, with the esteemed Black Women in Hollywood Award: 2014 Academy Award� nominated actor Lupita Nyong’o (Best Breakthrough Performance); Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences President Cheryl Boone Isaacs (Trailblazer Award) and award-winning director/writer Ava DuVernay (Visionary Award). In recognition of the 50th Anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the event will also pay tribute to legendary performers who were Champions of the Civil Rights Movement: Dr.
Maya Angelou, Diahann Carroll, Nichelle Nichols, Jim Brown, Denise Nicholas and Clarence Williams III, among others.