Black girls rock! Yolanda Adams and her daughter, Taylor Ayanna Crawford, joined others in celebrating the brilliance that is African-American women this past weekend.
The event was held in Newark at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. Yolanda and her daughter were definitely a big part of the show as they took center stage on the red carpet. Amandla Stenberg along with Storm Reid, Skai Jackson, and Riele Downs also posed for a few shots in the spotlight.
The night was all about Black Excellence, which meant that honoring the late Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, was certainly in order. “Tonight we celebrate our queens,” Queen Latifah, the ceremony’s host, said at the beginning of the celebration. Merle Dandridge highlighted the many contributions that Aretha made during her life during her speech.
“This was a woman who never limited herself,” the Greenleaf star said. “She always crossed genres,” Dandridge explained. “She always crossed cultures. She was never predictable. She was always ferocious and pioneering. Even if you didn’t know her ethics or know her as a woman, you know what she said to you in her music.”
Mary J. Blige was another musician who received praise during the “Black Girls Rock!” ceremony. The singer had words after being introduced by Phylicia Rashad to receive the Star Power Award. “Now that I am here, I know I have been rocking for years,” Mary told attendees.
