- Charisse Bremond-Weaver/CEO Brotherhood Crusade (left), Cedric The Entertainer (center), Danny Joseph Bakewell/Owner, The Bakewell Company and Chairman of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (right)
Los Angeles, CA — A capacity crowd of Los Angeles tastemakers, business leaders, elected officials and celebrity guests watched and cheered the well-loved and highly respected actor, writer, producer and philanthropist Cedric the Entertainer as he received the “Bremond-Bakewell Pioneer of African American Achievement Award “on Friday, November 7 at the Brotherhood Crusade 46th Annual Awards Gala, hosted at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
The honoree gave a heartfelt, poignant and at many times hilarious speech on his personal and professional journey. He emphasized the importance of exposing youth to what is “possible” and how his mother’s example had a profound impact on his determination to excel. The event theme was “Leading Young People onto the Stage of Life.” In his acceptance speech, Cedric The Entertainer impressed upon young people in the audience that one of his greatest achievements was having the courage to enter a comedy competition and get on stage for the first time.
The crowd stood to their feet to applaud the illustrious professional career and generous humanitarian impact of Cedric The Entertainer as Danny J. Bakewell/Owner, The Bakewell Company and Charisse Bremond Weaver/CEO of the Brotherhood Crusade co-presented the award.
Danny J. Bakewell and Charisse Bremond Weaver gave powerful speeches with vivid historical vignettes of how the Brotherhood Crusade organization came into existence, its role in the community and its mission of community empowerment and enrichment. Bremond Weaver said, “Each year the Brotherhood Crusade presents the Bremond-Bakewell Award to a pioneering African American who advances our mission and has established new benchmarks for success and achievement.”
Cedric The Entertainer said, “My charitable partnership with this top-notch organization is based on our mutual commitment to giving back. So, for me, it’s an incredible compliment and a profound honor to be the recipient of their 2014 Pioneer of African-American Achievement Award.”
Cedric’s universal appeal, versatility and tremendous career success spanning television, live performances and film have solidified his standing as one of the premier entertainers in the world. As a philanthropist, Cedric founded the Kyles Family Foundation, which provides life and social skills development, educational enrichment and program support to enhance and improve the lives of at-risk youth and their families. Cedric The Entertainer continues to provide his gifts by leading young people onto the stage of life.
The evening was a classy, elegant, stylish ode to the days of the Harlem Renaissance and Cotton Club. Guests enjoyed big band music, tap dancers, magnificient décor, cigarette girls with throwback treats of Cracker Jack and penny candy.
Guests were dressed to the nines. Watch video here! Or click https://vimeo.com/111278468 the (password is “Cedric” with a capital “C.”)
The smooth, modern day maestro, Brian McKnight, performed his musical classics on keyboards and guitar with vocals that were so musically decadent, the capacity crowd swooned.For the first time ever, the event featured an exciting social media video wall, which displayed real time messages and photo postings from event guests on Facebook and Twitter!
Recording artist and SPIN social media maven Kimberly Cole and Ryan Carillo from VH1’s Daily Buzz served as the event’s social media correspondents.Guests had a great time taking “selfies” on the red carpet and at their tables to post their photos with the hashtag #bhc2014galaturnup.
Chris Schauble, co-anchor of KTLA 5 Morning News, and Pat Prescott, radio personality for 94.7 The Wave were remarkable event hosts and joined the social media fun by taking selfies from the mainstage!
The event was a who’s who of distinguished guests from business, entertainment and politics including April Parker Jones “If Loving You is Wrong” (TNT), Duane Martin “Real Husbands of Hollywood” (BET), Obba Babatundé “Introducing Dorothy Dandrige “(HBO), NFL player DJ Fluker (San Diego Chargers), Dawnn Lewis “A Different World” (NBC), Recording artist Keith Washington, Congresswoman Karen Bass, California Controller Betty Yee, Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, District Attorney Jackie Lacey, State Senator Holly Mitchell, Assemblymember Steven Bradford, Assemblymember Elect Mike Gipson, Assemblymember Isadore Hall III, Assemblymember Chris Holden, Assemblymember Reginald Jones-Sawyer, President of the City Council Herb J. Wesson Jr., Councilmember Curren D. Price Jr., LAUSD School Board Member Dr. George McKenna, LAUSD School Board Member Steve Zimmer, City of Compton Councilmember Janna Zurita, City of Compton Councilmember Dr. Willie O. Jones, City of Compton School Board Satra Zurita, City of Hawthorne Mayor Chris Brown, City of Pasadena Vice Mayor Jacque Robinson, Judge David S. Cunningham, III and Civil Rights Attorney Connie L. Rice.In her speech, Charisse Bremond Weaver thanked event sponsors for their generous support of the gala including Xerox, AEG, Northern Trust, Herbalife, Nielsen, Union Bank, Toyota, AT&T, Chase, Southern California Edison, US Soccer Foundation, US Bank, Enterprise, SMS Transportation, DIRECTV, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Los Angeles Sentinel Newspaper, Verizon, Bank of America, Microsoft, Wells Fargo, Comerica Bank, Northern Trust, Ivie, McNeil & Wyatt, SEIU ULTCW, Southwest Airlines and The Berry Gordy Family Foundation.
| About Brotherhood Crusade Founded in 1968, the Brotherhood Crusade’s principal mission is dedicated to building and sustaining an institution that raises funds and resources from within the community and distributes those funds directly back into the community. The Brotherhood Crusade is committed to enriching the lives of at-risk youth, seniors, homeless populations, economically disadvantaged families and under-served individuals in South Los Angeles and surrounding communities. Consistent with our mission, we seek to effectuate four major objectives: 1) Cultivate Economic Growth; 2) Provide and Enhance Educational Opportunities; 3) Promote Health and Wellness; and 4) Build Community Agencies and Institutions |
Read more at https://www.eurweb.com/2014/11/cedric-the-entertainer-feted-at-46th-annual-brotherhood-crusade-awards-gala/#J2iYsbc8fJtZebKD.99
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