Source: Shareif Ziyadat / Getty
JAY-Z has steadily built a track record for giving back to the people. His efforts will be recognized by his peers this weekend.
The legendary rapper will be given the President’s Award at the 50th edition of the NAACP Image Awards. The President’s Award is presented in recognition of a special achievement and distinguished public service with previous recipients including Jesse Jackson, Lauryn Hill, Soledad O’Brien, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, and Muhammad Ali among others. NAACP President Derrick Johnson will present the award to Hov.
“The President’s Award is an honor we carefully bestow upon an individual, maintaining its significance and commitment to recognizing excellence in service that directly affects our community,” says Derrick Johnson, President of the NAACP, via a statement. “Shawn Carter has been committed to shedding light on the issues that plague the black community including systematic racism and unjust treatment under the law, utilizing his global platform to create everlasting change. There is no better time than now, as we celebrate our 50th year, to honor him with this award.”
JAY-Z continues to use his platform for social good, intertwining his art and activism, through the work of his Shawn Carter Foundation and serving as Co-Founder of The REFORM Alliance. He was instrumental in bringing to life Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story, which shed deeper light on the impact of the verdict felt round the world, a mini-series on the tragic effect of solitary confinement as seen through TIME: The Kalief Browder Story, and also the animated documentary short, The War on Drugs is an Epic Fail, highlighting the unjust treatment of people of color, specifically Blacks and Latinos, as it relates to drug related crimes. Most recently he and his wife Beyoncé Knowles-Carter were honored with a GLAAD award for their work on the behalf of the LGBT community.
Hosted by Anthony Anderson, the 50th NAACP Image Awards will be airing on TV One on Saturday, March 30, 2019 at 9pm/8c from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
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Photo: Getty
Source: HipHopWired.com
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