The star-studded event showcased the growing relationship between the historic organization, Ghana and the Diaspora.
PASADENA (February 24, 2020)- The 51st NAACP Image Awards took place over the weekend in Los Angeles, California with notable Ghanaian media personalities and representatives in attendance including, Bozoma Saint John, former Chief Brand Officer at Uber; Dentaa Amoateng MBE, entrepreneur and CEO of Guba Enterprises, Kwaku Bediako, Creative Designer at Chocolate by Kwaku Bediako; Del Titus Bawuah, London-based Entrepreneur; and Aba Blankson, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications at NAACP.
L-R: Dentaa Amoateng MBE, Del Titus Bawuah, Kwaku Bediako, and Anthony Bart at the NAACP Image Awards Red Carpet
“It was an honor to host an event that attracted not only our nominees, celebrities, and activists from Hollywood to the U.K. but also our friends from Ghana,” said Aba Blankson, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications at NAACP. “The NAACP is proud to continue building on the relationships we formed during our Year of Return journey, and we’re dedicated to bridging the gap between the diaspora and Africa. As is reflected in the breadth and scope of our nominees this year, Black talent, power, and resilience stretch across all corners of the world, and it is our honor to provide a platform for that excellence to be recognized.”
Aba Blankson, SVP of Marketing and Communications at NAACP in a dress by Ghanaian designer, Adjoa Yeboah
The group was among Black Hollywood stars including Angela Bassett, Tracee Ellis Ross, Jamie Foxx and many more that attended the awards. All were in awe as Rihanna took the stage to deliver her moving acceptance speech for the President’s Award recognizing her work as an entrepreneur, philanthropist and humanitarian, advocating for women and children.
NAACP President and CEO, Derrick Johnson with Rihanna
The award show took place over the course of two days, with Bediako styling NAACP President and CEO, Derrick Johnson, for the Non-Televised Awards Dinner on February 21, at the famed Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
NAACP President and CEO, Derrick Johnson and his wife Letitia Johnson pose for a photo with Kwaku Bediako
The Ghanaian representation at the Image Awards comes just months after the NAACP led a delegation of almost 300 Americans on a journey from Jamestown, Virginia to Jamestown, Accra, Ghana for the Year of Return. The NAACP, the largest and most widely recognized civil rights organization in the U.S., has been dedicated to fostering international and diaspora relations and such efforts were formalized through the Association’s partnership with the Africa America Institute and UN Women.
L-R: Kwaku Bediako, Aba Blankson, Bozoma Saint John and Del Titus Bawuah at the Image Awards After Party
The 51st NAACP Image Award aired live on BET. For viewers in Sub-Saharan Africa, the program can be viewed exclusively on BET Africa on DSTV Channel 129.
