CBCF Honors Misty Copeland and Maxwell

Hey Cuties,

I had the night of a lifetime this week at The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF), Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Spouses 23rd Annual Celebration of Leadership in the Fine Arts. This event recognizes the contributions African Americans have made and continue to make in the arts. This year *deep breath* CBCF honors Misty Copeland and Maxwell. *faints*

This was a last-minute media request but one I knew I had to go for. My theme for the year was about going big and shooting my shot. This was one of those moments for sure. LittleCuteLips and I are huge Misty Copeland fans, we have her Barbie, and all of her books. LittleCuteLips also did ballet and Misty was a great example to show her of a black woman dominating and industry that does not look like us. This is the ultimate girl power. I did it for me, but I damn sure did it for her too. Even in 2019, I am still an R&B girl, and what is R&B without Maxwell. First of all, he is fine, and his voice is so melodic. LISTEN!!! Back in the day, I swore his entire vibe was the standard for a man.  Now that I have my fangirl stuff out of the way lets discuss the event.

About The CBCF

The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Incorporated (CBCF), established in 1976, is a non-partisan, nonprofit, public policy, research and educational institute, committed to advancing the global black community by developing leaders, informing policy and educating the public.

About the Annual Legislative Conference (ALC)

The CBCF Annual Legislative Conference (ALC) is the leading policy conference on issues impacting African Americans and the global black community. Thought leaders, legislators and concerned citizens engage on economic development, civil and social justice, public health and education issues. More than 10,000 people attend 100 public policy forums and much more. Join subject experts, industry leaders, elected officials and citizen activists to explore today’s issues from an African-American perspective.

ALC’S Theme is, “400 Years: Our Legacy, Our Possibilities” —commemorates the first Africans arriving in America as slaves (‘400 Years’ ago) and acknowledges that slavery is a part of our legacy. Given our legacy, we must also look toward the future regarding our potential (‘Possibilities’) as a people.

Husband and wife Allison Seymour & Marc Clarke hit the carpet. Allison is our favorite news anchor of FOX 5, and she and March are also radio host on WHUR radio. She was also the program host for the evening.

Meet Joshua Echebiri, he is an actor, and he is one of the three scholarship winners.

Meet Rahel Lulseged and Jada Campbell, they are musicians and the other scholarship winners.

CBCF Honors Misty Copeland and MaxwellL to R: Maxwell, Mistry Copeland, and CBCF President, David A. Hinson

Misty Copeland received the Performance Trailblazer Award for being the first African American ballet dancer to be promoted to Principal Dancer in the American Ballet Theatre’s 75-year history. Talk about history-making. She started out by saying how good it felt to be in a room filled with black people. It may not seem like much but she is in an industry filled with people that look nothing like her. This was monumental, and I love that she acknowledged that.  She shared her back story on how the fine arts, ballet, in particular, gave her life. LittleCuteLips and I have her book so I was familiar with her story, but I hung on to her every word as she told it in person. She is very small in stature, but boy is she a mighty force

Maxwell Multi-Grammy Award-Winning Musical Artist was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his innovative contributions to the music industry as a singer, songwriter, and producer. I didn’t know much about Maxwell’s story other than he was from Brooklyn. He shared that he was raised by his mom who was a single parent. His mom is Haitian and his father is Puerto Rican which I also did not know. He actually cried a little, and it yanked my heartstrings. He told us that he never thought his career and humanitarian efforts would land him in a place to be honored and celebrated for his accomplishments. We loved him already, but we certainly loved him even more. He is as fun yet chill as you imagined him to be.

Between the honoree presentations, the scholarship winners shared their talents with us. These ladies were the perfect duet.

This was an incredibly moving monologue, performed effortlessly. This young man is going to be on the big screen, I PROMISE you. He was riveting.

The Highlight of My Night

After the event I was so pressed to get home to @LittleCuteLips. I couldn’t wait to tell her I met Misty Copeland. She was so excited, we giggled and squealed like two 7 year old girls. It was the absolute best feeling. I realized my dreams aren’t just for me.

This isn’t my first CBC rodeo, check out some others here.

Have you attended any of the CBC events? Chat with me in the comments below or FB, IG, and Twitter.