the 16th annual trumpet awards

It feels good to be black. And if that wasn’t your sentiment before the 16th Annual Trumpet Awards Ceremony, which took place at the Atlanta Civic Center Jan. 11-Jan. 13, then I’m sure your perception underwent an extreme makeover directly following the storied show. Those are the type of warm feelings that flowed freely as political and community icons like Rev. Jesse Jackson, Ambassador Andrew Young and Congresswoman Maxine Waters shared the stage with entertainment luminaries such as Usher, Ludacris and India Arie in a collective celebration of African American achievement. Xernona Clayton, the founder and CEO of the Trumpet Awards Foundation, graciously smiled and inconspicuously nodded her approval to the proceedings, a telling sign that the passion that has fueled her tireless efforts for so long, still burns deep within. – dewayne rogers

The Trumpet Awards will air on TV One on March 1, 2008