January 17, 2018 The Skanner Page 9
Arts & Entertainment
DuVernay, ‘Black-ish,’ ‘Power’ Win at NAACP Image Awards
Highlights include politically tinged speeches, calls for civic involvement
“
PHOTO BY CHRIS PIZZELLO/INVISION/AP
LOS ANGELES (AP) —
A jubilant Ava DuVernay
was named entertainer
of the year at an NAACP
Image Awards ceremony
that focused on the Black
community’s power to
create change.
DuVernay lauded oth-
er black artists from
the stage as she accept-
ed her award Monday
night, naming writers
and directors such as
Shonda Rhimes, Gina
Prince-Bythewood, Ken-
ya Barris and “Black Pan-
ther” Ryan Coogler.
“This is our time,” Du-
Vernay said. “We can
say we were here when
all this gorgeous art was
happening, and that we
supported it — that we
lifted each other up, that
we did as Dr. King said
PHOTO BY CHRIS PIZZELLO/INVISION/AP
By SANDY COHEN, AP
Entertainment Writer
The cast and crew of “black-ish” accepts the award for outstanding comedy series at the 49th annual
NAACP Image Awards at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on Monday, Jan. 15, 2018, in Pasadena, Calif.
Pictured from left are Laurence Fishburne, Anthony Anderson, Jeff Mecham, Jenifer Lewis, Kenya Barris,
Yara Shahidi, Miles Brown, Peter Mackenzie, Marsai Martin, Marcus Scribner, and Tracee Ellis Ross.
to speak up at the polls as
well.
We can say we were here
when all this gorgeous art
was happening, and that we
supported it — that we lifted
each other up, that we did as
Dr. King said we would do:
Live the dream. We’re the
dream
we would do: Live the
dream. We’re the dream.”
Anthony
Anderson
hosted the ceremony at
the Civic Auditorium in
Pasadena, California, on
what would have been
Martin Luther King Jr.’s
89th birthday. While his
politically tinged mono-
logue poked fun at the
presidential administra-
tion and Omarosa Man-
igault, others used their
time onstage to encour-
age more civic involve-
ment and the fight for
social justice.
Producer Will Packer
took a dig at President
Donald Trump’s recent
comments about immi-
gration as the producer
accepted an award for
“Girls Trip,” which won
for outstanding film.
“Sisters, especially the
ones from Haiti and Af-
rica, we love you as your
brothers,” he said.
Kerry
Washington,
Tracee Ellis Ross, La-
verne Cox, Jurnee Smol-
let-Bell, Lena Waithe
and Angela Robinson set
the tone for the evening
when they emerged on-
stage holding hands to
dramatically issue a get-
out-the-vote call.
The six women de-
clared support for the
Time’s Up initiative to
stop sexual harassment
and gender discrimina-
tion and urged viewers
“The midterms are a
perfect moment for us
to use our voices,” Robin-
son said. “If we can take
back a senate seat in Al-
abama...”
“Then we have the abil-
ity to shift the imbalance
of power,” Smollet-Bell
said.
Barris’ show “black-
ish” was the night’s big
winner. The ABC hit was
named best comedy se-
ries and took acting hon-
ors for stars Ross and
Anderson.
“It’s an extraordinary
thing to be able to show
what a beautiful Black
family looks like on tele-
vision,” Ross said as the
cast accepted the comedy
series honor.
“Power” was named
best drama series, and
star Omari Hardwick
won for dramatic actor.
Other winners includ-
ed “Gifted” actress Octa-
via Spencer and “Empire”
star Taraji P. Henson,
who were both absent,
and Daniel Kaluuya, who
won for his leading role
in “Get Out.”
The British actor was
clearly delighted at his
victory.
“I don’t think you’re
allowed to beat Den-
zel Washington in act-
ing competitions,” said
Kaluuya, who bested
Washington for the
prize. The 28-year-old ac-
tor thanked his mom and
“Get Out” writer-direc-
tor Jordan Peele.
“So many people didn’t
believe in me, and you
did, and you made all
of us feel included,”
Kaluuya said. “Thank
you so much for letting
us be seen.”
NAACP president Der-
SHOWTIMES
rik Johnson asked view-
ers to text in their pledge
to vote in 2018 before
presenting the Presi-
dent’s Award to Danny
Glover.
Glover was recognized
for his professional and
philanthropic contribu-
tions, particularly his
work with the United
Nations and his advocacy
for labor unions.
Glover spoke specifi-
cally of a Nissan plant
in Canton, Mississippi,
where 80 percent of em-
ployees are black, that
has yet to organize.
“Civil rights and labor
rights have always been
one and the same,” he
said.
The special awards pro-
vided some of the night’s
most poignant moments.
Halle Berry talked
about the significance of
presenting the NAACP
Image Awards on Martin
Luther King Jr. day.
“We need to take heed
to his eloquent words:
‘Our lives begin to end
the day we become si-
lent about the things that
matter,’” she said. “Today
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Ava DuVernay accepts the award for the entertainer of the year at the
49th annual NAACP Image Awards at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium
Jan. 15 in Pasadena, Calif.
is an affirmation that
we will never ever, ever,
ever be silent again.”
She presented the Mu-
sic Makes a Difference
award to Charlie Wil-
son, who talked about his
road from addiction and
homelessness to musical
success and philanthro-
py.
He said he prayed and
promised that if he could
survive the streets, he
would return to serve
others. Wilson said
Monday that he has been
sober for 22 years and
is focused on helping
homeless addicts.
Labor organizer Wil-
liam Lucy received the
Chairman’s Award for
his more than 40 years
of service. Beyond his
union leadership, Lucy
was also an activist who
fought apartheid in
South Africa.
He dedicated his award
to the Memphis sanita-
tion workers who went
on strike in 1968, sever-
al of whom were in the
audience at the Image
Awards. King spoke to
the striking employees
the night before he was
assassinated.
Another arresting mo-
ment in the show came
during singer Andra
Day’s chilling perfor-
mance of Billie Holiday’s
“Strange Fruit.” Rapper
Common joined her for
their song “Stand Up
for Something,” and the
whole audience rose to
its feet.
Follow AP Entertain-
ment Writer Sandy Co-
hen at www.twitter.com/
APSandy .