(photo credit: Monica Morgan)
If the adage “when and where I enter” was a high-spirited event, the Michigan Chronicle’s 2023 Women of Excellence was it.
The pre-presentation, where the Michigan Chronicle’s staff checked in the guests, could be described as high-powered organized chaos, in the way the best block parties are—but more formally dressed. DJ Fingers spun a glorious mix of cuts that celebrated all things Black, female and Detroit. Attendees hugged, kissed cheeks, snacked on hors d’oeuvres and chatted in the lobby of and inside the Motor City Casino’s Conference Room.
The high energy became more elevated when the gospel group God’s Choir brought the Spirit into the room. With blessings in place, the President of Real Times Media News Group, Cathy Nedd took to the stage to introduce the 2023 honorees.
The women came through to a medley that included “Pretty Girls Walk Like This” by Big Boss Vette and to a standing ovation and fist pumps from the attendees.
“Tonight we are unapologetically Black,” Nedd said to the appreciative crowd.
Next to the stage was the irrepressible Frankie Darcell, who is a former Women of Excellence honoree. The former radio personality is now the host of the fastest-growing podcast on iHeartMedia, “Frankie Has a Big Mouth.” Darcell came back to the Motor City just to emcee this year’s Women of Excellence, and her enthusiasm of being back home shone through.
“I encourage women,” she told the crowd. She gave her testimony of surviving breast cancer and advised the mixed-gender crowd to get their breast tissue checked as well.
Hiram Jackson, the CEO of Real Times Media and publisher of the Michigan Chronicle, followed Darcell. He continued encouraging the audience to freely enjoy themselves, especially the honorees.
“We know that you have done all the things that are expected of Black women,” he said. “And we see you. However, this is a licensed area to act a fool.”
Jackson gave a brief history of the 16-year-old event, from its start in Chicago to the night’s event. He told the crowd it was “the biggest one we’ve ever done.”
The next evolution of the Women of Excellence, said Jackson, is to connect all of the honorees across the United States.
Darcell came back to the stage and connected the past and current honorees to the potential ones. She asked the under-20 women guests to stand to be recognized. “They are being exposed to all this excellence. This is what we mean when we say that we see you!”
This year’s special honorees were: Byna Elliott, the global head of Advancing Black Pathways at JPMorgan Chase and Kenyetta Hairston Bridges, the COO and executive vice president of Economic Development and Investment Services at DEGC who both received the Vanguard Award; Rev. Dr. JoAnn Watson, senior pastor at West Side Unity Church who received the Lifetime Achievement Award; and Justice Kyra Harris Bolden of the Michigan Supreme Court who received the Woman of the Year Award.
“I am grateful for this honor, for this award,” Hairston Bridges said. “I’m grateful to grace this stage with these amazing Black women. Thank you all for your support.”
Justice Harris Bolden, who is the first Black female justice on Michigan’s Supreme Court and a longtime advocate for those who suffered sexual abuse, said, “I feel so loved and so supported and so protected. It has been a long road to get to this point, from lynching to law school, from injustice to capital ‘j” Justice. I am so honored to represent that legacy, as so many of you in this room have.”
In between the special awardees, Darcell shouted out the Louisiana State University basketball player Angel Reese, who has been facing backlash from the court of public opinion because of her trash-talking her white NCAA tournament rival, Caitlin Clark from Iowa.
“We know who you are,” Darcell said. The attendees loudly applauded their agreement.
Dr. Rena Vassar, a former honoree, read the Women of Excellence creed as past and present members of the collectively described sisterhood held each other arm-in-arm as the rest of the room looked on.
To close the night, Tarshena Armstrong, director of Diversity Marketing & Development at General Motors and 2023 Women of Excellence Class president, succinctly summed up the evening and the ethos of Women of Excellence: “Anything is possible. Dreaming is necessary, and faith without works is dead.”
About Post Author
