Steed Media Group/rolling out and Ford Motor Company honored the “Men Who Go Further” in the inaugural Men of Power and Influence awards gala at the Twelve hotel in Atlanta on Dec. 13, 2012, which was hosted by former supermodel Tyson Beckford and reality star and author Antonia “Toya” Wright.
The soiree was an upscale celebration, which included a plethora of dignitaries and celebrities, served to exalt members of this often maligned and marginalized demographic for their tireless and often unrecognized careers of sustained excellence that has transformed countless lives.
Emory University senior lecturer Nathan McCall epitomized the distinguished class of honored men. His New York Times bestselling classic, Makes Me Wanna Holler, served as a cathartic cleansing of the soul for a multitude of readers. “I didn’t write that book to change the world. I wrote that book to get some things off my chest. It wasn’t until after I wrote those books (the seminal Makes Me Wanna Holler, among others) that I discovered that there were a whole lot of black people who felt the same pain that I felt,” the former Washington Post beat writer said. “I would like thank Steed Media Group and rolling out and Ford for this award, for this serves as a reminder that what I did has value and actually can make a difference.”
“I would like to thank Ford and the Men of Power who illustrate excellence in our community and who are difference makers and change agents that anyone and everyone can admire and emulate,” said Steed Media Group Publisher Munson Steed. K.P. Smith helped hand out the awards and honors.
Below is a list of the esteemed gentlemen whose illustrious careers have touched, save and altered lives. We also included many of the best photos from the events.
Honorees included: Nathan McCall, Michael Mauldin, Bangladesh, Jermaine Dupri, Derek Anderson, Don Lemon, Frank Ski, Kwaanza Hall, Lee May, Mark Pitts, Roderick “Rod” Edmond, Dr. Robert M. Franklin, Roscoe Dash, William Jelani Cobb and Angelo Taylor.
