Black Girls Rock! facts for kids

BLACK GIRLS ROCK! is a special company started by Beverly Bond. She is a businesswoman, a famous DJ, and a former model. This company holds an annual award show. The show celebrates the amazing achievements of Black women.

BLACK GIRLS ROCK! also has a part that helps young people. It is a nonprofit group. This group teaches leadership skills to teenage girls. It also helps them build confidence. They do this through a yearly event called "BLACK GIRLS LEAD."

How BLACK GIRLS ROCK! Started

BLACK GIRLS ROCK! was created by Beverly Bond in 2006. The very first BLACK GIRLS ROCK! AWARDS ceremony was held in Brooklyn, New York. It honored rapper MC Lyte and DJ Jazzy Joyce.

For the second awards show, they honored Missy Elliott, Sylvia Rhone, and DJ Diamond Kuts. Actress Regina King hosted this event. The organization continued to put on its award show in New York City until 2009. Regina King hosted again in 2008. In 2009, Regina King and Tracee Ellis Ross hosted together.

In 2010, BLACK GIRLS ROCK! teamed up with BET. This allowed the award show to be shown on TV. The show aired on BET from 2010 to 2019.

In 2021, Beverly Bond started BGR!TV Networks. This network streams shows that celebrate Black women and girls. The first program on BGR!TV Networks was a special fundraising event. It celebrated the 15th anniversary of BLACK GIRLS ROCK! Famous artists like Chaka Khan performed at this event.

In 2019, BLACK GIRLS ROCK! worked with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. They hosted BGR!Fest in Washington, DC. This was a three-day celebration. It included music and dance. A second BGR!Fest happened in 2020. The Kennedy Center announced that BGR!FEST would return in March 2022. BLACK GIRLS ROCK! is also working with the National Symphony Orchestra for another event.

BLACK GIRLS ROCK! also has a yearly "BLACK GIRLS LEAD" conference for girls. They also offer educational programs in science and technology. These programs are part of their "Girls Rock Tech!" platform.

About the Award Show

Every year, the BLACK GIRLS ROCK! award show celebrates amazing women. They are recognized in different categories. Some awards include "The Rock Star" and "Living Legend." Other awards are "Social Humanitarian" and "Young, Gifted & Black."

The show also features musical performances. Female artists who sing R&B and Soul music often perform. Famous speakers have also appeared. These include Michelle Obama in 2015 and Hillary Clinton in 2016.

The first televised show was on November 7, 2010. Since then, Black Girls Rock! has been a yearly TV event on BET. Actress Nia Long hosted the 2010 ceremony. Many artists performed and were honored. These included SWV, Keke Palmer, and Missy Elliott.

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, at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.

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

Honored Women

Many inspiring Black women have been honored at the BLACK GIRLS ROCK! Awards. Here are some of the early honorees:

2006 Honorees

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

2007 Honorees

• Creative Visionary Award – Missy Elliott
• DJ Jazzy Joyce Award – DJ Diamond Cuts
• Corporate Award – Sylvia Rhone

2008 Honorees

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

2009 Honorees

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

Over the years, many other famous and influential women have been honored. These include Alicia Keys, Kerry Washington, Dionne Warwick, Queen Latifah, Venus Williams, Patti LaBelle, Jada Pinkett Smith, Cicely Tyson, Rihanna, Shonda Rhimes, Gladys Knight, Solange, Issa Rae, Roberta Flack, Janet Jackson, Angela Bassett, Regina King, and Ciara. Each of these women has made a big impact in their fields.

The Black Girls Rock! Book

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