(Photo by Wes Klain)
The Better Brothers Los Angeles (BBLA) in association with award-winning actress/activist, Sheryl Lee Ralph and her non-profit organization, The DIVA Foundation, are excited to announce that the award-winning director/producer Anthony Hemingway will round out this year’s impressive list of award-winning honorees for the fifth annual Truth Awards.
The Truth Awards will be held on Saturday, March 9, 2019 at the Taglyan Cultural Complex, located at 1201 Vine Street in Los Angeles. The private and ticketed festivities will kick off at 6 p.m. with red carpet arrivals and a VIP reception. The event will be hosted by actress, Angela Robinson of Tyler Perry’s “The Haves and Have Nots,” which airs on OWN. Special musical guest performance will be made by R&B singer/songwriter Tweet.
The black-tie affair will honor trailblazing LGBTQ+ African-Americans whose personal and professional accomplishments have positively impacted the perception and image of the Black LGBTQ+ community. The Truth Awards embody the belief that members of the Black LGBTQ+ community and its allies who embrace and live their truth should be celebrated and honored.
Golden Globe and Emmy Award winning director/producer, Anthony Hemingway will be feted for his work in film and television with a History Maker Award
The DIVA Foundation and its founder Sheryl Lee Ralph are especially pleased to continue their partnership with Better Brothers Los Angeles (BBLA) on this effort. Both organizations believe a healthy Black community – one where individuals are allowed to live their truth, free of shame and stigma, and are recognized as equal and rightful members of the community – is a critical piece in the fight to also end HIV/AIDS. This year’s honorees were picked from various fields, including entertainment, fashion, beauty, business, finance and media.
“Times are certainly changing!” said Ralph. “In this current political environment, it’s important that we continue to support our brothers and sisters in the LGBTQ+ community, and make it possible for them to live out loud and openly for the world to see.” She added, “Our acceptance and understanding of the LGBTQ+ community will encourage, inspire and motivate others to live their truth, unapologetically.”
Past honorees include Emmy-winning actress Loretta Devine, award-winning actor Rockmond Dunbar, the first female NBA referee Violet Palmer, celebrated make-up artist Sam Fine, author/writer James Earl Hardy, transgender model Tracey “Africa” Norman, transgender reality star and activist Chandi Moore, Grammy-nominated producer/singer/songwriter B. Slade, advertising executive Aaron Walton of Walton Isaacson (WI), and activist and night club owner Jewel Thais-Williams – just to name a few.
The Truth Awards are made possible with the support of Kaiser Permanente, LeadersUp, Northrup Grumman, Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, In the Meantime Men’s Group, New York Life and KTLA TV.
Ticket prices range from $150 for general admission to $250 for premier seating. Tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite at truthawards5.eventbrite.com or https://www.eventbrite.com/e/5th-annual-truth-awards-presented-by-better-brothers-los-angeles-and-the-diva-foundation-tickets-53624633723
The Truth Awards will benefit the DIVA Foundation and its partnership with BBLA, which has initiated several initiatives aimed at affirming and strengthening the African American LGBTQ+ community educationally, financially, physically and socially. For more information about the organization and its scholarship program, visit www.BetterBrothersLA.com
