From the moment presenter Taraji P. Henson took the stage at The Fifth Annual Black Women On Broadway Awards and declared that we cannot be erased, the room full of Broadway’s finest women on and behind the stage knew it was going to be a celebration.
The Joe Turner’s Come and Gone star was there to introduce one of four honorees: Alana Raquel Bowers, Debra Martin Chase, Destiny Lilly and Whitney White, each recognized by Black Women on Broadway for their stage accolades and dedication to the arts.
Started five years ago by stage, TV and film actress Danielle Brooks, playwright Jocelyn Bioh and Broadway veteran Amber Iman, the organization earned its 501(c)(3) status for its fifth birthday. “We just became a nonprofit, so now hopefully we can open up more opportunities for us to get grants,” an elated Brooks stated.
“I don’t think people really understand we do so much more outside of this event: workshops for playwrights to have their work read. I started the Century Cycle Continues Monologue competition, and there’s a bunch of other things that we’re doing as well.”
The Current Ballroom at Chelsea Piers in New York City was filled with Black women representing every generation. From Broadway newcomers dressed in sherbet-colored gowns to legendary stage veterans arriving in sharp floral pantsuits, the event brought together Black women from every generation of theater.
That included Chase, the film, television and theater producer celebrated as one of the first Black filmmakers to produce a film that grossed over $100 million with the 1996 military courtroom drama Courage Under Fire. She spoke with EBONY on how important it is to support Black filmmaking with our dollars.
“If you don’t support the movie, the TV show, the play, it gets harder to get other things done,” she stated. “You vote with your pocketbook when it comes to entertainment, and support is really important.”
Anika Noni Rose shared that her upcoming book is about empowering others. “It’s called A Princess Is a Princess, and it’s for little girls about recognizing that they don’t have to be a particular thing to be seen as a princess,” said the star who voiced Princess Tiana in Disney’s 2009 animated feature The Princess and the Frog. “It’s enough to be who they are.”
In an afternoon where two-time Emmy winner Kara Young, Golden Globe winner Ayo Edibiri — who’s making her Broadway debut in Proof — and Emmy winner Lena Waithe smiled freely, laughing, dancing and snapping pics with Broadway creatives, ensemble cast members and fellow guests, the message in the room was crystal clear: Today is the day to cherish every Black woman who has poured her life and soul into the theater.