Black Girls Rock! facts for kids

BLACK GIRLS ROCK! is a company started by Beverly Bond. She is a business leader, celebrity DJ, and former model. The company hosts a yearly award show. This show celebrates the achievements of Black women. BLACK GIRLS ROCK! also has a non-profit part. It helps teenage girls learn leadership skills and build confidence. They do this through their yearly "BLACK GIRLS LEAD" conference.

The Story of BLACK GIRLS ROCK!

BLACK GIRLS ROCK! was started in 2006 by Beverly Bond. The very first BLACK GIRLS ROCK! AWARDS ceremony honored rapper MC Lyte and DJ Jazzy Joyce. It took place in Brooklyn, New York. For the second awards show, they honored Missy Elliott and Sylvia Rhone. Actress Regina King hosted this event. The organization held its award show independently in New York City until 2009.

In 2010, BLACK GIRLS ROCK! teamed up with BET. This allowed the award show to be shown on TV. It aired on BET from 2010 to 2019. In 2021, Beverly Bond launched BGR!TV Networks. This network streams shows that celebrate Black women and girls. The first show on BGR!TV Networks was a 15th-anniversary fundraising event. It featured famous artists like Chaka Khan.

BLACK GIRLS ROCK! also held BGR!Fest in 2019. This was a three-day celebration with music and dance. It happened at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. A second BGR!Fest took place in 2020. The Kennedy Center plans for BGR!FEST to return. BLACK GIRLS ROCK! also works with the National Symphony Orchestra.

The organization also hosts the yearly BLACK GIRLS LEAD conference for girls. They offer educational STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) programs. These are part of their Girls Rock Tech! platform.

About the Award Show

Each year, BLACK GIRLS ROCK! honors amazing women. They are recognized in different categories. Some awards include "The Rock Star" and "Living Legend." Others are "Social Humanitarian" and "Young, Gifted & Black." The show also features musical performances. These often include female artists in R&B and Soul music. Famous speakers have included Michelle Obama (in 2015) and Hillary Clinton (in 2016).

The first televised ceremony was on November 7, 2010. Since then, Black Girls Rock! has been a yearly TV event. It airs on BET and BET Her. The 2010 show was hosted by actress Nia Long. It featured many musical performances and recognitions.

The 2013 show was very popular. Over 2.7 million people watched it on TV. Since 2015, the yearly ceremony has been held in Newark. It takes place at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.

The 2019 event was hosted by actress Niecy Nash. It aired on September 8, 2019, on BET. The award show has won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Variety three times. These wins were in 2013, 2017, and 2019.

Award Winners

Many inspiring women have been honored at the BLACK GIRLS ROCK! Awards. Here are some examples of past winners:

2006

• Pioneer Award – DJ Jazzy Joyce
• Icon Award – MC Lyte

2007

• Creative Visionary Award – Missy Elliott
• Corporate Award – Sylvia Rhone

2008

• Rock Star Award – Erykah Badu
• Living Legend Award – Pam Grier
• Social Humanitarian Award – Iman

2009

• Fashionista Award – Naomi Campbell
• Young, Gifted and Black Award – Raven-Symoné
• Icon Award – Mary J. Blige

2010

• Young, Gifted & Black Award – Raven-Symoné
• Visionary Award – Missy Elliott
• Living Legend Award – Ruby Dee

2011

• Young, Black & Gifted Award – Tatyana Ali
• Star Power Award – Taraji P. Henson
• Icon Award – Angela Davis

2012

• Rock Star Award – Alicia Keys
• Young Gifted and Black Award – Janelle Monáe
• Living Legend Award – Dionne Warwick

2013

• Rock Star Award – Queen Latifah
• Young, Gifted & Black Award – Misty Copeland
• Living Legend Award – Patti LaBelle

2015

• Rock Star Award – Erykah Badu
• Star Power Award – Jada Pinkett Smith
• Living Legend Award – Cicely Tyson

2016

• Rock Star Celebrant – Rihanna
• Young, Gifted and Black Celebrant – Amandla Stenberg
• Living Legend Celebrant – Gladys Knight

2017

• Rock Star Celebrant – Solange
• Star Power Celebrant – Issa Rae
• Living Legend Celebrant – Roberta Flack

2018

• Rock Star Celebrant – Janet Jackson
• Star Power Award – Mary J Blige
• Living Legend Award – Judith Jamison

2019

• Icon Award – Angela Bassett
• Star Power Award – Regina King
• Rock Star Award – Ciara

The Black Girls Rock! Book

In February 2018, a book called Black Girls Rock! Owning Our Magic. Rocking Our Truth. was published. Simon & Schuster released it. Beverly Bond edited the book. It shares ideas and stories from almost sixty important Black women. Some of these women include Michelle Obama and Angela Davis.