The 5th Annual BET Honors held Saturday, January 14, aired last night. The event honored the achievements of legends in the fields of music, literature, entertainment, media, service, and education.
What does extraordinary look like? It looks like the Tuskegee Airmen, Mariah Carey, Stevie Wonder, Dr. Maya Angelou, Spike Lee, and Beverly Kearney who were all among the honorees at Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C.
The always beautiful Gabrielle Union hosted the event for the fifth consecutive year.
Giants of the music industry were in attendance at the star studded event. The incomparable Stevie Wonder was honored for Musical Arts. Aretha Franklin, Ledisi, and India Aria sang two of Wonder’s classics.
In addition to being honored, Stevie Wonder paid tribute to director Spike Lee. Wonder preformed “Living for the City” Lee’s favorite song. Lee with one of Lee’s favorite songs, “Living for the City.” A giant screen of Wonder playing all the instruments and even playing back up for himself flashed behind Wonder. During Lee’s acceptance speech he spoke of his grandmother, an educator that lived to be 100 years old. “‘I don’t know any Black film-makers, Spikey; but if that is what you want to do, then do it’ “, Lee remembered his grandmother telling him. “More dreams are killed by parents” stated Lee. “Don’t kill your kids’ dream!”
Kelly Rowland proved that she is no longer in the shadow of Beyonce during her salute to Mariah Carey. Rowland performed an energetic cover of Carey’s hit Fantasy. And was joined on stage by Raekwon who stood in place of the late ODB from the Wu Tang Clan. Patti Labelle also sang in tribute to Carey, belting out “Hero” in true Labelle fashion. Carey, who received the Entertainment award, took the stage after her husband Nick Cannon with one of “dem babies” gave a heartfelt tribute to his wife. “It’s Mariah that gets up at two in the morning to make me soup because one of my kidneys ain’t working right”.
One of the evening’s highlights was when Cicely Tyson, Queen Latifah, Jill Scott, and a darling Willow Smith in canary yellow gave recited Angelou’s “Still I Rise.” Technically only a presenter, First Lady Michelle Obama took the stage and stole the show dressed in a stunning one-shoulder sapphire gown to present the Literary Arts award Dr. Maya Angelou.
Also, stealing the show was BET’s Music Matters performer, Luke James. James, originally from New Orleans, burst on the stage like Choir Boy from the Five Heart Beats singing his new single “I Want You”.
BET also honored the efforts of the Tuskegee Airmen that would help to desegregate theU.S.military. War heroes and surviving members of the groundbreaking Tuskegee Airmen, Charles E. McGee and Roscoe Brown stood before a standing ovation that included Collin Powell. Track-and-field coach Beverly Kearney was also honored with the Education award for her leadership on theUniversityof Texas at Austin track-and-field team that shattered records after she overcame a paralyzing car accident.
