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ESSENCE ANNOUNCES FOUR HOLLYWOOD GAME-CHANGERS AS HONOREES FOR ITS PRESTIGIOUS 2018 BLACK WOMEN IN HOLLYWOOD AWARDS LUNCHEON

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ESSENCE ANNOUNCES FOUR HOLLYWOOD GAME-CHANGERS AS HONOREES FOR ITS PRESTIGIOUS 2018 BLACK WOMEN IN HOLLYWOOD AWARDS LUNCHEON

New York, NY (February 6, 2018)—ESSENCE, the preeminent brand for African-American women, has announced the honorees for its prestigious “Black Women in Hollywood Awards.” The highly anticipated annual Oscar-week celebration—which returns as a daytime luncheon— will be held on Thursday, March 1st, at the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills, CA.

ESSENCE’s annual event puts the spotlight on Hollywood’s most innovative and accomplished visionaries, and this year will honor four game-changers who are taking the culture higher, including: Emmy-award winning writer/actress Lena Waithe; actress/award-winning playwright Danai Gurira; actress/activist Tessa Thompson and comedian/award-winning actress Tiffany Haddish.

“As the modern feminist movement continues to gain prominence during Awards season, women are emboldened to not only speak up, but to stand together,” said ESSENCE Editor-in- Chief Vanessa De Luca. “ESSENCE proudly salutes Lena, Danai, Tessa and Tiffany for being remarkable artists shining beyond the screen, and raising their voices to benefit all women.”

ESSENCE’s March 2018 Black Women in Hollywood issue (on newsstands February 23rd) showcases each honoree in a captivating Oscars-themed package. Highlights include:

Tiffany Haddish on Having Fun While Performing: “’When you’re onstage, you need to be having fun.’ That’s the advice Richard Pryor gave me. No matter what I’m doing or where I am, I live by that philosophy…If I’m not having fun? Well, that’s when I end up getting arrested…”

Danai Gurira on Creating Opportunities for Women of Color: “Creating opportunities for Black women, women of African descent and other women of color is a big part of my mandate because I want us to shine. I understand that being on TV as Michonne and in films like ‘Black Panther’ help Black girls feel validated. I don’t take that lightly…”
Lena Waithe on Winning an Emmy and Telling Our Stories: “Being the first Black woman to win an Emmy for comedy writing was just amazing, but I don’t want to be the last. It’s about our industry, our society, taking a big leap forward. It’s about my ancestors, the women comedy writers and queer communities of color. I shared that moment with them…”

Tessa Thompson on Breaking New Ground With Her Roles: “I feel as if I’m breaking new ground and providing more representation for women of color around the globe. But even if it wasn’t me, I’d still look at those projects and if I saw a woman who looked like me, I’d think, Wow!”…

Stay tuned to Essence.com for highlights and behind-the-scenes access to the Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @essence #BlackWomeninHollywood. Join in the discussion on Facebook.
The Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards is presented by The Ford Motor Company and sponsored by AT&T, Geico, L’Oréal Paris and Walmart.

Celebrity photographer and disabled Vietnam veteran Jerome Dorn embodies the very definition of resilience. Born in Philadelphia, the fifth of seven children, Dorn stayed focused throughout his youth, eventually obtaining his degree in Criminal Justice. Dorn has worked with the Philadelphia Police Department, Department of Justice, World Wide Detective Agency, and several other high profile security groups. Throughout his successful career, Dorn wrestled with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, an aftereffect of his military service. Battling the pain and debilitating effect of PTSD, Dorn found comfort behind the camera. Photography proved to be not only therapeutic, but life changing as well. Dorn picked up his first camera in 1970 while serving in Vietnam and knew instantly that behind the lens was where he belonged. His shooting style and photographs were special, generating a buzz in the industry. In 1985, he began his career in photojournalism, working in a variety of genres. Dorn’s credentials include fashion, lifestyle photography, photojournalism, and celebrity/red carpet coverage. Working with MSNBC, Jet Magazine, and major publications in Philadelphia and around the country, Dorn has had the honor of capturing the images of hundreds of notable celebrities and politicians including President Barack Obama, George Bush Jr, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Maya Angelou, Jesse Jackson, Rihanna, Snoop Dog, Will Smith, and Tyler Perry. Photography has sent Dorn around the globe, inspiring his passion for civil activism. In 1995, Dorn assembled and led a group of forty-two men to the Million Man March. Together, they spent five days walking from Philadelphia to Washington DC. In his travels, Dorn observed a common theme amongst the youth of the world. Many of the children he encountered seemed lost. Understanding that opportunities for at-risk youth are minimal, Dorn was inspired to make a difference. Established by Dorn in 2011, InDaHouseMedia was built on the idea that there is room in the house for everyone. With InDaHouseMedia, Dorn’s mission is to provide the future generation with positive direction through sports, music, and photography.

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