Every year for the past eleven, the Harvard Black Men's Forum, an undergraduate student organization, has put on an event called The Celebration of Black Women. This year, they asked me to emcee, and it was a blast. For starters, I got to meet singer Jennifer Hudson and Congresswoman Maxine Waters, and they both thought I was hilariousThe theme of this year's celebration was "Boundless Women: Agents of Empowerment," and the program was hot. The entire event is an ode to black mothers, sisters, daughters and friends who often go unrecognized or straight up dissed (see: most any hip hop song).
Beginning with an invocation from Rev. Karen Cummings of Cambridge, the program featured, songs and poetry by current students, a scholarship awarded to a black female high school senior (Brenda Douyon this year), awards to seven senior women, keynote by Maxine Waters and two songs by Jennifer Hudson (American Idol finalist last year who was basically robbed on a wack vote).
Maxine Waters was most definitely the highlight. Her speech focused on several themes including supporting competition, but not to the point of destruction as well as acknowledging women's roles in the Civil Rights Movement. I especially loved her call to arms on the Social Security debate, reminding kids that a lot of them might make a killing from private accounts as they work on Wall Street but asking them not to do so at the expense of their people. Living longer, as they do, black women could be extra screwed by this social security monkey business.
Jennifer Hudson proved why she made it as far as she did in the American Idol finals, and from my point of view, I'm like Fantasia who??? She really just killed it, and after pressure from the crowd for an encore, she brought up senior Zackary Raynor for a "Circle of Life" duet. Awwwww. So cute.
So thanks to the BMF for having me, and great job on the Celebration.