“This occasion highlights achievements of African Americans and is an event production of the Foundation,” said Clayton.

On Saturday night, the Black Cultural Explosion was held at the Georgia World Congress Center and included notable acts from the SunRay Dancers, blues vocalist Heaven Davis, reggae group Elvis White, R&B singer Eric Benet, and many more. The showcase demonstrated the wide range of talent, with an emphasis on black history.

On Monday, January 23, the International Civil Rights Hall of Fame induction, sponsored by General Motors kicked off the evening ceremony. It was held at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic site in downtown Atlanta.

The black tie Trumpet Award ceremony was also held at the Georgia World Congress Center and honored 10 notable individuals who have demonstrated exceptional achievements in the community.

The awards went to the following:

Archbishop Desmond Tutu received the Global award. The archbishop became the first black General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches and received the 1994 Nobel Peace prize for his work against apartheid.

Dr. Keith Black received the Medical award celebrating his achievements in the medical field. Dr. Black is a world-renown neurosurgeon and scientist, having published hundreds of papers over the years. He discovered a natural body peptide that helps deliver drugs to fight tumors.

Lorenzo Creighton was honored with an award for his success as a businessman. He has served as a judge, attorney, and gaming regulator. He became the first African-American property president when he accepted the job as president of Flamingo, an enterprise with approximately 4,400 employees.

Dr. Bobby Jones was presented with the award for his pioneer work in television. He is the host and executive producer of cable television’s only national gospel program called Bobby Jones’ Gospel on the Black Entertainment Network.

Vivica A. Fox received the film award for her seasoned skills as an actress and co-executive producer. She has co-starred in films such as Quentin Tarrantino’s Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Vol.2, alongside Uma Thurman, Darryl Hannah, and Lucy Lui, and Ella Enchanted.

Judge Leah Ward Sears was honored for her unprecedented accomplishments in the field of law. She became the first African-American female to serve as Superior Court Judge in Georgia and the first woman to win a contested state-wide election in Georgia. She was sworn in on June 28, 2005, becoming the only African-American female Chief Justice in the United States.

Usher was saluted with the entertainment award. A singer, composer, producer, film and television actor, businessman, and philanthropist, Usher has experienced record breaking success with his album Confessions. The album sold 1.1 million units in its first week and appeared on Billboard’s 200 at #1.

Reverend C.T. Vivian received the Civil rights award. The reverend founded the Black Action Strategies and Information Center (BASICS), a workplace consultancy on race relations and multiculturalism. He was appointed to the executive staff of the SCLC in 1963 when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. named him national director of affiliates.

Stevie Wonder was honored with the lifetime achievement award. He has recorded over 30 Top 10 hits,  won close to two dozen Grammies, and has been inducted into the Songwriters and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame.

Danny Bakewell was presented with the president’s award. He is the founder and CEO of the Brotherhood Crusade, an organization that addresses important issues for people of color. He also founded Sabriya’s Castle of Fun Foundation in memory of his youngest daughter who died of leukemia in ’92.

Co-producers of the 2006 Trumpet Awards, Chet Brewster and Will Harper, were the masterminds behind directing the ceremony. Brewster has worked on many projects including the Kings of Comedy tour as well as the movie version, Original Kings of Comedy. Harper is an award-winning director and has worked with Lenny Kravitz, Oprah’s daytime show, and Jamie Foxx.

The Trumpet Awards will be aired on TV One for the second year. Tapes of the awards are made available to schools throughout the country.

As a future journalist, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience covering the awards show. I had the opportunity to personally interview Eric Benet, Dr. Bobby Jones, Clifton Davis, Danny Bakewell, Divorce Court TV’s, Judge Mabelean Ephraim, Dr. Keith Black, civil-rights activist Dick Gregory, and comedian Jonathan Slocumb. Although each presenter, entertainer, or honorees play different roles, they unanimously agreed that the Trumpet Awards is an important and necessary event. The ceremony not only recognizes success in the African American community, it recognizes how history impacts everyone’s lives on many levels. The Trumpet awards is not another award show; it creates history and acknowledges positive influence in people’s lives.

“The Trumpet Awards represented the positivism that has been lacking in the media,” said Benet. “We are all responsible, as human beings to be positive role models for future generations.”