Memphis’ newest awards ceremony seeks to honor hard-working men of color who have demonstrated excellence in the professional, collegiate, or humanitarian fields. The awards show, the inaugural Black Men Crowned Awards, will take place on December 9th at the National Civil Rights Museum.
The event intends to reframe the representation of Black men in both a local and national sense, highlighting their accomplishments through an evening of celebration and festivity. Justin Hart, a supervising producer at the television network Fox Soul, spearheaded the project as its creator. The executive producers of this event include Steven Sanders, Deondra Guy, and Lauren Keys.
Black men from a wide range of industries and backgrounds have been selected for their distinguished accomplishments in their respective pursuits.
“This award ceremony is devoted to honoring and celebrating Black men in various professions such as entrepreneurship, business, athletics, and entertainment,” Hart says.
An anonymous panel selected this year’s 10 distinguished honorees, which include Dr. Joris M. Ray, the superintendent of Shelby County Schools; Calvin Austin III, a University of Memphis football player with potential NFL prospects; and Princeton Echols, a rising entertainer and performer. A Shelby County High School student will be honored during the event with a college scholarship.
Hart hopes to see this year’s ceremony evolve into something even larger in the future as a possible Memphis-based attraction. “I want to make this big,” Hart says. “I want this to be a staple in the city of Memphis. It’s time to really put the city on the map in a positive way. This is my way of giving back by starting this idea that is going to grow into something even bigger than what I can imagine.”
The awards show is a counter to the historically negative representation of Black men in the media, Hart says. He aims for this event to help reverse that trend for the better. “Every time I turn on the news, there’s something negative about a Black man,” he says, “and I just felt like this was the perfect time to change the narrative of how the media portrays Black men.”
Hart says guests can expect a night of opulence, commensurate with the achievements attained by the honorees. “We want these honorees to feel like they are royalty, because they are, and rightfully so,” Hart says. Stan Bell, a local radio personality, will host the event alongside Tony Smith, a party promoter. Memphis-themed dishes and drinks will be served.
Hart says he wants to inspire a future generation of young Black men to flourish in their professional and personal lives. “My goal was to highlight those Black men that are doing extremely well and to give young men the opportunity to see a reflection of themselves in their success.”
The Black Men Crowned Awards at the National Civil Rights Museum, Thursday, December 9th, 7 p.m. Tickets for the event are sold out, but those interested can find a full list of this year’s honorees and more information on the event’s Facebook page.