BET Honors, BET’s first ever award show honoring the achievements of African-American celebrities will be taping tonight in DC and will be broadcasted on the network on Friday February 21st at 8 P.M. ET/PT.
In mid-2007, the network came under fire from critics who blamed it for perpertuating negative images and stereotypes of blacks. But CEO Debra Lee is optimistic and had this to say about the awards show:
- “We are thrilled to present the first-ever BET HONORS and pay tribute to the thinkers, trailblazers and trendsetters whose accomplishments serve as inspirations for current and future generations. Each of these remarkable individuals has made significant contributions to the Black community and American culture overall, and BET Networks is proud to recognize them through this very special, new tentpole event. We’ve done a number of significant shows in other cities, but what better place to honor these individuals than in our home city of Washington, D.C.”
Among the presenters for the night: Stevie Wonder, John Legend, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Wyclef Jean, Danny Glover, Kerry Washington, Vivica A. Fox and Hill Harper. Honorees include=Alicia Keys (Entertainment Award), Tyra Banks (Media Award), Dr. Cornel West, University Professor in the Center for African American Studies (Award for Education), Richard Parsons (Corporate Citizen Award), The Honorable Maxine Waters (Public Service Award) and CEO Janice Bryant Howroyd (Entrepreneur Award).
