- Title: Black women celebrated on star-studded BET red carpet
- Date: 28th June 2021
- Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (JUNE 27, 2021) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** ARRIVAL OF BET HONOREE QUEEN LATIFAH SINGER ASHANTI SPEAKING VARIOUS OF SINGER AND ACTRESS ANDRA DAY PRODUCER KHALED GREETING MUSICIAN MICHAEL KENNETH WILLIAMS RAPPER LIL NAS X SINGER CHLOE BAILEY (SOUNDBITE) (English) SINGER, CHLOE BAILEY, SAYING: "The special place is where in a world where we have to constantly beg for celebration, we're giving the celebration to ourselves and the love and acceptance to ourselves and I'm just happy to be here so you're the woman, Black women rock, I'm happy to be here as a Black woman so yeah." RAPPER AND SINGER SAWEETIE RAPPER LATTO LIL NAS X IN DIFFERENT OUTFIT SINGER SONGWRITER H.E.R. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SINGER SONGWRITER, H.E.R., SAYING: "Oh my gosh, the power of Black women? You can't put that into just a few words but I will say the strength is the power, the beauty, the versatility, the diversity of Black women is the power of Black women." LIL NAS X SINGER JENNIFER HUDSON (SOUNDBITE) (English) SINGER, JENNIFER HUDSON, SAYING: "I'm happy to see there's a platform for it now and hopefully there's more to come. Women and Black women, we do a lot and so it should be acknowledged and women should be given their flowers so I'm so happy to be here to celebrate us as women on tonight." RAPPER DABABY (SOUNDBITE) (English) RAPPER, DABABY, SAYING: "You know, Black women are beautiful. I was born out of one. Black women get people like me - do you get what I'm saying? So not only that, Black women they brought so much to the table. They barely get light shared on it - you get what I'm saying? - so it's always a pleasure to be able to honour them and have nights like this, big nights like this surrounded around by them. It's a beautiful thing. You know what I mean?" VARIOUS OF HUDSON SAYING SHE'S A BIG FAN OF DABABY AND HAVING THEIR PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN TOGETHER (SOUNDBITE) (English) RAPPER, DABABY, SAYING: "It just happened. Jennifer Hudson came up to me and say she was one of my biggest fans. That's amazing! Do you know what I'm saying? Yeah, I'm trying to keep my cool but you know, Jennifer Hudson, though, all jokes aside, you know, a legend that's somebody who doesn't get enough credit - do you know what I mean? - that she deserves. Her music is beautiful, it touches the soul, it resonates with the heart. That's why I think she's still such a major player in the game right now, even after chilling. So, shout out to her. That was a big moment for me - do you know what I mean?" HOST TARAJI P. HENSON RUFF RYDERS CO-FOUNDERS JOAQUIN 'WAAH' DEAN AND DARIN 'DEE' DEAN DMX LOGO (SOUNDBITE) (English) RUFF RYDERS CO-FOUNDER, JOAQUIN 'WAAH' DEAN, SAYING: "We're going to go to war for X (DMX) tonight and we is closing out tonight - salute to all the soldiers out there, everybody that represents the art, represent the family of DMX. It ain't over." SINGER SEVYN STREETER LIL KIM RAPPERS CITY GIRLS QUEEN LATIFAH SINGER JAZMINE SULLIVAN SWISS BEATZ' SON, NOTE MARCATO RED CARPET / BET AWARDS 2021 SIGN BET AWARDS 2021 SIGN
- Embargoed: 12th July 2021 02:37
- Keywords: Ashanti BET awards Black women DaBaby H.E.R. Lil Nas X Queen Latifah celebration in-person
- Location: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
- City: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Music,United States
- Reuters ID: LVA001EJBE7GT
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:With coronavirus restrictions dropped in California, the BET (Black Entertainment Television) Awards gave the impression that life was back to normal in Tinseltown.
Celebrities on Sunday (June 27) including Lil Nas X, H.E.R., Jennifer Hudson and DaBaby, interacted and hugged on the at the red carpet at the Microsoft Theatre, as journalists wearing masks filmed.
The BET Awards were set up in 2001 to celebrate African Americans' contributions to television and film, music and sports.
Chloe Bailey, one half of the duo Chloe x Halle, told Reuters "In a world where we have to constantly beg for celebration, we're giving the celebration to ourselves and the love and acceptance to ourselves."
The theme of the night was 'Year of the Black Woman'. Hosted by actress Taraji P. Henson, the main honouree of the night was singer, rapper and actress Queen Latifah.
Singer and actress Jennifer Hudson said "I'm happy to see there's a platform for it now and hopefully there's more to come. Women and Black women, we do a lot and so it should be acknowledged and women should be given their flowers so I'm so happy to be here to celebrate us as women on tonight."
The evening is set to honour rapper DMX, who died in April this year from a heart attack, with a special segment.
Busta Rhymes, Method Man, Swizz Beatz and members of the Ruff Ryders family will collaborate on the closing performance of the show.
Joaquin 'Waah' Dean said "We're going to go to war for X (DMX) tonight and we is closing out tonight - salute to all the soldiers out there, everybody that represents the art, represent the family of DMX. It ain't over."
The red carpet itself had numerous quirky moments, with rapper Lil Nas X making two appearances in two different outfits, and Jennifer Hudson becoming starstruck by rising star DaBaby.
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