Raven-Symoné will be honored for her decades of commitment to kids and family programming, as well as LGBTQ+ visibility during the ninth annual Truth Awards.
The event, produced in association with Emmy-winning actress Sheryl Lee Ralph’s D.I.V.A. Foundation and in partnership with Better Brothers Los Angeles, will take place at Hollywood’s Taglyan Cultural Complex on March 4. The annual ceremony, which is being hosted by transgender rights advocate and Pose actress Angelica Ross, talk show personality and Cocktails With Queens‘ host Claudia Jordan, and NBC Bay Area News anchor Marcus Washington, will also stream exclusively on Fox Soul on March 18.
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Symoné is being honored for her three-decade-long career, which spans memorable roles on TV series like The Cosby Show, That’s So Raven and its Disney spinoff Raven’s Home, as well as her persistent presence in kids and family entertainment. The Daytime Emmy nominee and NAACP Image Award winner will also be celebrated for her ongoing commitment to raising the visibility of LGBTQ+ people on the screen and beyond.
“The Truth Awards, along with our acceptance and understanding of the LGBTQ+ community, will encourage, inspire and motivate others to live their truth unapologetically,” Ralph said in a statement. “It’s important that we focus on supporting our brothers and sisters in the LGBTQ+ community as they continue to fight for equality. Our public acknowledgment and partnership make it possible for them to live out loud and openly for the world to see.”
The event honors trailblazing LGBTQ+ African Americans and allies who have embraced and live their truth and, furthermore, positively impacted the perception and image of the Black LGBTQ+ red carpet community. Produced by DIVA and BBLA, each organization works to support a healthy Black community where LGBTQ+ people are able to live their truth, free of shame and stigma, while being recognized as equal and rightful members of the community. It’s a critical part, according to both, of the fight to end HIV/AIDS.
Presenters for the night include Abbott Elementary’s Ralph, fellow actors Jerrie Johnson (Harlem), Eric Scott Ways (The Best Man: The Final Chapters) and Rhoyle Ivy King (All American: Homecoming), Emmy-nominated TV judge Mablean Ephriam and Hollywood Unlocked’s Jason Lee, with others to be announced at a later date. Ross, along with R&B singer Avery Wilson and actor-singer-songwriter Terrell Carter, are set to be among this year’s live musical performances.
Additional honorees include the Regina Hicks- and Wanda Sykes-created series The Upshaws, which will receive the Cultural Affirmation Award. Daytime and Emmy Award-winning Judge Greg Mathis is slated to be honored with 2023’s Family Award, presented “to a family who publicly provides unwavering love and support to LGBTQ+ family members,” according to the awards.
Byron Perkins, the first openly gay HBCU football player, is being honored with the Courage Award, while UCLA’s executive vice chancellor and provost Dr. Darnell Hunt is set to accept the Excellence in Education Award. Meanwhile, the senior director of medical affairs at Gilead Sciences, Dr. David Malebranche, and Unique Woman’s Coalition will receive the Advocate Award, and the Starz Network will celebrate garnering this year’s Corporate Diversity & Leadership Award.
“This year’s honorees continue the Truth Awards’ tradition of recognizing the diversity in our community, from educators to advocates to creatives to sports figures,” said Scott Hamilton, co-founder of Better Brothers Los Angeles, in a statement. “Our community mirrors the larger Black Community, and the Truth Awards places this example of Black Excellence on display for all to see.”
