Sheryl Lee Ralph and Vanessa E. Williams Honored
BLACMail Productions (Black Leaders in Art & Cinema) will honor black Hollywood legends, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Vanessa E. Williams. Both actresses have used their celebrity to raise awareness and advocate for people living with HIV/AIDS, especially within the Black community.
“As a Black man with a Black mother and four beautiful Black sisters, it is crucial to me that women’s rights are upheld and that they are celebrated every day,” BLACMail Productions Founder and CEO Spencer Collins told The Los Angeles Sentinel.
“This year’s event is dedicated to the Black woman, acknowledging her strength, resilience, and invaluable contributions to our communities,” Collins said.
At this year’s World AIDS Day event, Collins will honor the two trailblazers who have advocated for marginalized communities, especially Black women, for over 30 years.
Last year, Sheryl Lee Ralph released Unexpected, a documentary that tells the stories of Black women living with HIV in the southern United States. The Abbott Elementary star founded the DIVA Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides resources and support to marginalized people. The actress said that the DIVA Foundation is a “memorial and life-long pledge” to the friends she lost to HIV/AIDS.
Vanessa E. Williams is a member of Dance For Life a collective of artists and activists who unite to raise awareness and resources to combat HIV/AIDS and other public health issues. The NAACP Image Award-nominee is also the former vice chair for the Executive Board of Directors of The Black Aids Institute.
The gala will include special appearances by celebrity stylist Joe Xclusive, film producer Don B Welch, actress and model, Az-Marie Livingston, singer Angie Fisher, reality star Greg Mathis Jr, and Showtime At The Apollo host Kiki Shepard.
The event will occur Friday, Dec. 13, from 5-10 p.m. at The Miracle Theater, 226 South Market Street in Inglewood, CA.
