Essence Black Women In Hollywood with Lincoln

essence-black-women-in-hollywoodOn this past Thursday, I was invited to attend and cover one of the most incredible and inspiring award ceremonies I have ever attended. The Essence Black Women in Hollywood luncheon and awards ceremony sponsored by Lincoln Motor Company is by far one of the best events I’ve ever attended.

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This special day, taking place a few days before the Oscars, is dedicated to celebrating and honoring the outstanding achievements of women of color in Hollywood. Women who dominate the big and small screens, who take on roles that are transformative and groundbreaking, and who take the charge in representing our stories and our realities for the world to see.

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It was not only a pleasure but an absolute honor to be in the presence of such greatness. Guys, I MET OPRAH. I literally stood next to her, embraced her and got a #SELFIE with her! And I have to thank Lincoln Motor Company for making that possible. The event was attended by notables and VIPs including Common, Laverne Cox, Viola Davis, Ava DuVernay, Uzo Aduba, Kelly Rowland, Mara Brock Akil, Tracee Ellis Ross, Shonda Rhimes and so many more! Here’s how my day went:

Christina-Brown-Black-Women-In-HollywoodFor my look, I went with this hot pink ASOS Asymmetric Dress With Step Hem. Like I did for my blue carpet appearance at the NAACP Image Awards screening event, I opted for this ASOS dress because it fit so well and it was so incredibly chic. I don’t typically do really structured dresses but I love that this one cinched at the waist so perfectly (helping me accentuate my waist) and had a step-hem allowing me to show off a little leg.

For my shoes, I paired the hot pink dress with a cool royal blue Roxy shoe from Smash Shoes – a new shoe destination that specifically carries shoe sizes 10-13 for those of us girls with bigger feet. The Roxy was the perfect compliment to my red carpet look.

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I had the pleasure of attending Essence Black Women in Hollywood alongside my good friend and business partner Jessica Andrews of Glamazons Blog.

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It’s great going to an event like this because among the hundreds of cute selfies that come with attending fun events with friends, you also always have someone to snap your pic with a big-time celeb or to tell you if your makeup needs touching up.

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Among the many reasons I enjoyed myself at Black Women in Hollywood, I think the biggest was the sense of love and camaraderie in the room. It was like getting together with your friends for brunch. Everyone in the room greets one another with warm embrace, everyone is excited to be there and it’s so inspiring and empowering to see women around you who are breaking barriers in the entertainment industry as women of color.

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Before everyone stepped inside to enjoy lunch, the waiting room was filled with many of the sponsoring brands including Presenting Sponsor Lincoln Motor Company.

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While there, I did an interview with hostess Bevy Smith about it being my first time attending and also about my experience being carted around LA in the Lincoln MKC.

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The car was really comfortable and super classy. I could definitely see myself owning one when the time is right.

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Once inside, attendees had the opportunity to chat, mix and mingle with the VIP guests! This is when I had my epic encounter with the one and only OPRAH!

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Even though it’s a little blurry, I will cherish this picture forever. The time I got close enough to Oprah to get a selfie AND to touch her and tell her how amazing she is! My 2015 is off to such an amazing start.

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Oprah opened the luncheon and ceremony with a touching speech dedicated to the one and only Maya Angelou.

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One after the other, I watched iconic stars grace the stage like David Oyelowo presenting the Lincoln Breakthrough of the Year Award to talented actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw and iconic director Ava Duvernay (director of Selma!) presenting the Visionary Award to costume designer Ruth Carter.

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Shawn Thompson, Multicultural Marketing Manager for Lincoln, gave a speech about how empowering it was to be in a room full of trailblazers as a woman of color who got support from her very own mother to pursue her dreams.

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One of the most touching and tear-jerking speeches came from my girl Danielle Brooks (aka Taystee on hit series Orange Is The New Black) who spoke on behalf of the entire cast awarded with the Hollywood Vanguard Award.

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This event was such an honor to attend and I have to thank Lincoln Motor Company for bringing me on their behalf to enjoy it and soak in all the greatness it had to offer. For the FIRST time ever, the Essence Black Women in Hollywood awards ceremony will be broadcast on OWN TV.

Tune in tonight, Saturday, February 21st at 10PM EST on OWN Network for the broadcast! (You might catch a glimpse of me!)

Christina Brown

Lifestyle influencer and digital mompreneur Christina S. Brown is a New York native, LA resident, and the founder of LoveBrownSugar.com and BrownGirlsLove. She's an award-winning storyteller, a motivational speaker and an advocate for confident millennial black women.