Los Angeles – On Saturday night, former Vice President Kamala Harris took the stage at the NAACP Image Awards with a powerful message. She praised the civil rights organization as a pillar of the Black community and urged people to stay resilient and hold onto their faith during the tenure of President Donald Trump.
Harris, who was defeated by Trump in last year’s presidential election, was the first woman and the first person of color to serve as vice president. She had previously been a U.S. senator from California and the state’s attorney general.
In her first major public appearance since leaving office, Harris did not reference her election loss or Trump’s actions since entering the Oval Office. Instead, she spoke about the importance of eternal vigilance, the price of liberty, staying alert, seeking the truth, and America’s future.
“While we have no illusions about what we are up against in this chapter in our American story, this chapter will be written not simply by whoever occupies the oval office nor by the wealthiest among us,” Harris said after receiving the NAACP’s Chairman’s Award. “The American story will be written by you. Written by us. By we the people.”
The 56th annual Image Awards, held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in the Los Angeles area, also honored the Wayans family with induction into the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame. The family was recognized for their pioneering contributions to film, TV, sketch, and stand-up comedy that have shaped Hollywood for decades.
The Wayans family, including Keenen Ivory Wayans, Damon Wayans Sr., Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Kim Wayans, and Damon Wayans Jr., have a long list of credits. Keenen Ivory Wayans created the sketch comedy series “In Living Color” in 1990 and directed the 2000 slasher spoof “Scary Movie,” which was written by Marlon Wayans and Shawn Wayans. Damon Wayans Sr. had a starring role in the 1995 comedy “Major Payne” and currently co-stars with son Damon Wayans Jr. in the CBS sitcom “Poppa’s House.” The pair were also nominated for their acting on the show.
During the ceremony, Harris was honored with the Chairman’s Award, which has previously been given to former President Barack Obama, the late Rep. John Lewis, and the late actor Ruby Dee. Harris was also joined by the Wayans family in receiving the award.
Marlon Wayans, whose guest appearance on Peacock’s “Bel-Air” was up for an NAACP award, shared how Keenen Ivory Wayans sparked the family’s rise.
“He raised us all like Jedis,” he said. “We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for our big brother.”
The evening also saw Keke Palmer win the coveted Entertainer of the Year award. In her acceptance speech, Palmer paid homage to fellow nominee Cynthia Erivo’s Oscar-nominated performance in “Wicked.”
“Oh my gosh. Guys, I didn’t think I was going to win,” said Palmer, who also won an Emmy for her hosting efforts on NBC’s “Password.” “It’s such an amazing category to be in with all these people. It’s a beautiful night. It’s Black History Month, y’all. It’s so important we all come here together and celebrate one another with one another.”
Other nominees for Entertainer of the Year included Kendrick Lamar, Kevin Hart, and Shannon Sharpe.
The Image Awards also recognized Los Angeles residents impacted by the devastating wildfires that occurred in January. Host Deon Cole honored residents of the nearby Altadena neighborhood, where 22 residents attended the show on Saturday. Many in the audience stood and applauded as actor Morris Chestnut took the stage to acknowledge the impact of the fires on areas such as Altadena, the Pacific Palisades, and Malibu.
“But what was not lost is the spirit of our community,” said Chestnut, a Los Angeles native.
The evening also saw comedian Dave Chappelle honored with the President’s Award for his “thought-provoking humor.” In his acceptance speech, Chappelle spoke about the NAACP’s push against negative portrayals of Black people in media and the importance of representation.
“Every opportunity we get, we just keep chipping away at this monster of a machine,” he said.
Past recipients of the President’s Award include Jay-Z, Lauryn Hill, Usher, Rihanna,
