Detroit was in full bloom at the 2016 Ford Freedom Awards18th annual fundraiser benefiting the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. This year’s theme was celebrating Men of Courage, and stars such as Usher, Jerome Bettis, Doug E. Fresh, Shaka Senghor, Andre Drummond, and several Detroit Lions players were in attendance at this star-studded event.
This year’s event theme was Men of Courage: Advancing the Narrative of African American Men, and it celebrated the achievements of the past, present and future, while highlighting select African American men for their diverse, complex and valiant stories.
Rolling out captured some of the night’s most memorable moments. The night’s honorees included Dave Bing, former Detroit mayor and successful businessman; the late Reginald F. Lewis, business tycoon and Wall Street lawyer; Shaka Senghor, criminal justice reform advocate, New York Times best-selling author; Jonathan Butler, University of Missouri graduate student activist and hunger striker; and Kerlin Blaise, former NFL player and owner of Blaze Contracting. There were performances by Doug E. Fresh, Angie Stone, Avery Wilson (season three contestant on “The Voice”), and Chloe Arnold’s Syncopated Ladies (tap dance band) performed a tribute to Prince.
Check out the photo gallery to see some of the night’s best moments.
Photo gallery credit: Porsha Monique for Steed Media
