This week’s Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit, hosted by State Farm, will continue its yearly tradition of honoring amazing ladies at the 10th Annual Legacy Awards.
Taking place Tuesday, March 3, at 7:30 p.m .in the Grand Ballroom of Fort Lauderdale, Florida’s Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa, the event, hosted by PepsiCo, is dedicated to honoring those who have made career strides and tremendous change in the world. The 2015 Legacy Awards honors actress and activist Pam Grier, founder and CEO of the National CARES Mentoring Movement and Editor-in-Chief Emeritus of Essence Magazine, Susan L. Taylor, Author and journalist Charlayne Hunter-Gault; and Spelman College President Dr. Beverly Daniel-Tatum.
With remarks by Deborah Rosado Shaw, SVP and chief global diversity and engagement officer of PepsiCo; Louise Perrin, senior vice president at State Farm Insurance Cos; and Jackie Glenn, global CDO of EMC Corp, the evening’s mistress of ceremonies is Caroline Clarke, editorial director of Black Enterprise’s Women of Power Summit and host of Women of Power TV, along with journalist and author Valerie Coleman Morris.
With 10 years of trailblazers and powerful women, Black Enterprise’s Legacy Awards Gala honors that history and this year’s exceptional additions to the of sisterhood with an inspiring, unforgettable evening. Included at this event is a special award honoring the legacy of Barbara Graves, wife of Black Enterprise Founder Earl Graves Sr. and an exemplary leader at the multimedia company—an award presented annually for outstanding achievement and service in education and other areas of service to young people.
The empowerment continues on Wednesday afternoon, when Legacy recipients Susan L. Taylor and Pam Grier share knowledge in the session, “Legacy Wisdom: Real Talk! The Tricks, Traps, & Truths About Success.” Moderated by Clarke, the conversation shares Taylor and Grier’s tips on attaining success and leaving a legacy by taking the road less traveled, navigating through barriers, and still creating balance in one’s personal and professional life.
Black Enterprise is honored to recognize this year’s 10th Annual Legacy Award Recipients:
Pam Grier
She’s more than just a pretty face. Pam Grier is a barrier breaker with an extensive
resume of kicking down doors that’s as long and plentiful as the number of criminals she’s karate chopped in countless flicks. With over 40 movies to her name the Golden Globe and Emmy nominated actress is known as Hollywood’s very first female action star. An accolade that for an African American woman, is historic. And for Grier is a triumphant testament to continually fighting and successfully overcoming personal obstacles. “I know I’ve influenced people, and I’m proud of that. But as I see it, I really haven’t done anything. I haven’t saved anybody from a burning building,†says Grier. “Foxy Brown actually approached me at the start of her career to ask if she could use the name. I told her, ‘You didn’t need to ask.’ If you’re an independent woman, every woman is Foxy Brown.â€Susan L. Taylor
With a lifelong commitment dedicated to education and upliftment, Taylor is humble when it comes to receiving accolades. The editor of eight books and author of four including the best-seller In the Spirit; Lessons in Living; Confirmation: The Spiritual Wisdom That Has Shaped Our Lives, which she wrote with her husband. Her most recent book, All About Love is also her joy. “”If I didn’t save my money, if I had spent every dime and lived high on the hog during those years at Essence, I would not have had the resources to leave and start a foundation and not take a paycheck and do what I’m doing,†says Taylor, Founder & CEO of the National CARES Mentoring Movement and Editor- in- Chief Emeritus of Essence Magazine.
Charlayne Hunter-Gault
When it comes to pioneering women of the Civil Rights Movement, author and journalist Charlayne Hunter-Gault still stands strong. Chosen in the 1960’s as a test case in the fight to integrate schools. After a court case admitted her and fellow black classmate Hamilton Holmes to the University of Georgia in 1961, she ducked racist rock assaults and tear gas bombs to graduate and become an award winning journalist for everyone from The New Yorker and PBS to NPR and CNN. The Peabody and
Emmy award winning press professional was recently inducted into the National Civil Right Museum with the International Honoree Award for her global progressive work.Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, Barbara Graves Award
Set to be honored with the Barbara Graves Award for her 35-year career in higher education, Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum embarked on a traditional academic route, from professor to tenure and promotion, working at University of California, Santa Barbara, Westfield State University, and Mount Holyoke College.
After a six-month stint serving as acting president of Mount Holyoke, Daniel Tatum was nominated for president of Spelman, a position she proudly accepted. Now, at 60 and preparing to retire, she’s ready to transition into her next dream as a full-time writer. The author of three books, Can We Talk About Race? And Other Conversations in an Era of School Resegregation (2007), Assimilation Blues: Black Families in a White Community (1987), and 1997′s “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?†and Other Conversations about Race; Tatum’s triumphant legacy leaves her with no regrets.