Leaders reflect on Black excellence at CBC Foundation’s Phoenix Awards

“It’s always this incredible mix of family reunion, brain trust, community, and most of all strategic planning, which is so essential in this moment against the backdrop of anti-Blackness in every way,” said Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass.

The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation hosted its annual Phoenix Awards this past weekend in Washington, D.C., to honor Black excellence in politics.  

On Saturday, actors Janelle James of “Abbott Elementary” and Kofi Siriboe of “Queen Sugar” hosted the sold-out awards dinner at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

Award recipients included White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who received the CBC Foundation Annual Legislative Conference Honorary Co-Chairs’ Award; Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, a former CBC member who took home the CBC Foundation Chair’s Award; Minority House Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who was handed the CBC’s Body Award, Tennessee State Rep. Justin Jones, who was given the CBC Chair’s Award and rappers LL Cool J and MC Lyte, who were both presented with the CBC Foundation’s Culture Icon Award.

In a pre-recorded statement before accepting her award, Jean-Pierre said, “I would not be here today if it were not for the generation of barrier-breaking people before me.” The Biden spokesperson added, “I have learned from their excellence and benefited from their sacrifices, and I am forever grateful to them.”

Jeffries, the first Black person to serve as party leader in Congress, also prepared a pre-recorded message and shared his gratitude for being a recipient of the Phoenix Award.

“Thank you for this incredible honor. Since 1971, the CBC has fought for racial justice, social justice, economic justice and to bring the American dream to life in every single zip code,” he said. “We will continue to speak up. We will continue to show up. We will continue to stand up until we reach the promised land of liberty and justice for all.”

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris also made appearances midway through the Phoenix Awards ceremony.

With a little humor, Biden addressed the audience, saying, “In February 1971, the year before I got to the United States Senate 200 years ago, 13 Black members of Congress were determined to create a better future and leverage their collective strength to form the Congressional Black Caucus.”

The president said those members forced America to see that “we are all created equal and deserve to be treated equally throughout our entire lives.”

Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., told theGrio, “As the first Black woman elected from the commonwealth of Massachusetts to serve in the House, it is such a humbling honor to be a member of the Congressional Black Caucus.”

“It’s always this incredible mix of family reunion, brain trust, community, and most of all, strategic planning, which is so essential in this moment against the backdrop of anti-Blackness in every way,” said Pressley.

Reflecting on what is known as “CBC Week,” Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., told theGrio that “it’s been an incredible week.”

“So many great events. You know, I introduced my legislation on the missing Black women and girls, and then we did a lot of events with Black businesswomen owners,” she said.

Omar added that she and the other members of Congress were tired, “But it’s a fun night to party and conclude the event.”

Tennessee Rep. Jones told theGrio, “I’m so excited to be at the Phoenix Awards because a Phoenix is something that rises from what was to what can be.”

He continued, “We stand in the tradition of ‘good trouble’ as CBC member John Lewis taught us, and I’m just so grateful to be here as the youngest Black lawmaker in Tennessee.”

Jones added, “Knowing that we stand in a lineage of liberation, that we are a people of progress and that being here tonight is another step forward together in this multi-generational movement to make this nation is what it ought to be.”

Roland Martin, host of “Roland Martin Unfiltered,” also attended the Phoenix Awards on Saturday evening and told theGrio, “I get parties and receptions and all those sorts of stuff like that, but there are a lot people who aren’t even aware of the various issues” plaguing the Black community.

“The question is what do you do when you leave, and so what happens on Monday? That’s really what the goal is,” said Martin.

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