Urban One Honors + Special UNCENSORED Episode with DMX

African Americans have rich culture and history that is often buried under American normatives and stereotypes. It is crucial to have documentation now so the youth can continue to thrive in the future. The Urban One Honors is that documentation, a baton of knowledge that celebrates accomplishments and culture within the black community that should be passed through generations. This year the theme is “Women Leading Change'', and we are beyond excited to witness the honoring of the women who are the movers and shakers for the advancement of African Americans. The Divah Filez was honored with the opportunity to attend the press conference and listen in on the inspiring words from the panelists, and learn more about the surprises to come this year. Urban One Honors will air Sunday, May 16th at 9 pm EST [simulcast] on Cleo TV. An hour before the show there is an episode of Uncensored airing, featuring one of DMX’s last interviews. It will be an event you won’t want to miss!

Kicking off the excitement for Urban One Honors, the press conference was moderated by actor, radio personality, community advocate, and director of TV-ONE’s UNCENSORED: Ryan Cameron. Panelists that we had the pleasure of speaking with were: Urban One Founder and Chairwoman Cathy Hughes; Senior Director of Original Programming & Production for TV-ONE Susan Henry; Grammy-Award winning gospel singer and songwriter Erica Campbell; producer, author, and interior decorator Jazz Smollett; music and creative director Kim Burse; and Vice-President of Original Programming & Production for TV-ONE’s UNSUNG Robyn Greene Arrington. Erica Campbell will be hosting along with journalist and TV-ONE Commentator, Roland Martin.

Although the focus of this year is women who have changed the way we live today, there will be a segment performed where our brothers show support for the sisters in “Brothers Say A Word”. This segment will be conducted by: BET Founder Bob Johnson; political commentator, author, and lawyer Van Jones; Georgia Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock; and President and CEO of TV-ONE Alfred Liggins. Performances will be made by artists such as Jasmine Sullivan, Da Brat, Le’Andria Johnson, Avery Sunshine, as well as all-female band Kim Burse and The KB Players. Along with special performances, a homage will be paid to the International Sweethearts of Rhythm, an interracial all-female jazz band from the 1930s.

The most exciting aspect of the show this year is the honorees. The lineup is as follows:

Voting Rights Champion and Activist Stacey Abrams; Investigative Journal Crusader Nikole Hannah-Jones; Health Equality Advocate Dr. Ala Stanford; Business Alchemist Roz Brewer; Family Needs Ambassador Kim Ford; and Reparations Ambassador Robyn Rue Simmons.

We had a chance to hear from Jazz Smollett and Susan Henry about their why factor that keeps them motivated in doing the important advocacy work within their industries and their everyday life in general. To which they replied:

Jazz Smollett: “We do not think about what’s right or wrong, we do what we are passionate about.” and,

Susan Henry: “It is important that these stories [of African American history] are shared. It is all about coming together, sharing stories, and being a part of growth.”

We were honored to hear from the panelists and listen to them share their fruitful wisdom with us. Make sure to tune in to Cleo TV on Sunday, May 16, 2021, at 9 p.m. ET/8C, to experience history and art in the making!