Aldis Hodge Intro

essencemagazine

3/13/2025

Transcript

00:00Please welcome your host, actor, producer, entrepreneur,

00:03and star of the hit prime show, Alex Cross, Aldis Hodge.

00:07My people, my people, what is happening with y'all today?

00:12Hello, everybody.

00:13Welcome to the 18th Annual Essence Black Women

00:16in Hollywood Awards.

00:19I'm your host, Aldis Hodge.

00:22I'm very excited to be here to celebrate

00:25four talented, brilliant black women who

00:28are leaving an unforgettable mark on Hollywood

00:30through their work in film and television.

00:33But I got to let you know, when I got the call

00:36that I was invited to host, first thing I thought was,

00:41y'all sure y'all got the right guy?

00:44I mean, did y'all mean to call Kevin Hart

00:48and accidentally got me?

00:50You know what I'm saying?

00:51I didn't understand it.

00:52Was it because y'all put me on the Essence cover recently?

00:59Had your boy out there.

01:00I'm just out there, you know, got my cheeks out

01:03on full display.

01:03Is that why?

01:05No, let me tell you about it.

01:06Look, that day, I took about 1,000 pictures, OK?

01:09I was out there, huh, huh, huh, huh, bam, killing it.

01:15They didn't let me see the cover.

01:17They wanted to surprise me.

01:18All of a sudden, I start hearing a lot of online buzz,

01:21talking about, oh, he got guns and buns.

01:24I said, what the hell?

01:26And then I look at the cover.

01:27Y'all, I don't know if y'all seen the cover.

01:29They got your mans like this.

01:36I ain't mad at it.

01:37You know what I'm saying?

01:38I'm not mad at it.

01:39I just didn't know.

01:40I don't remember taking that picture.

01:42I don't.

01:44But what I realized is I was going

01:46through a little bit of imposter syndrome, you know?

01:48Because I don't know if y'all see y'all.

01:50This room is made for me.

01:52Y'all see y'all.

01:53This room is major.

01:54Every single one of you, every single one of you

01:56is absolutely major, iconic, legendary, right?

02:00And I didn't know if I was good enough to stand before you.

02:03You know what I'm saying?

02:04Look, look, we got Tyra Banks up in here, y'all.

02:13Hello, nice to meet you.

02:16I don't want to be the dude that says the wrong thing

02:18and, like, trips down the stairs.

02:20And then I get that call from Tyra,

02:21I was rooting for you.

02:23We was all rooting for you.

02:26I don't want that call.

02:28But then I realized my fear started making me

02:32forget where I was coming to.

02:34I was coming to a room full of not only my people,

02:38but black women.

02:39Black women, black women who have historically

02:47and consistently been the backbone of progressive change

02:52in this country, have been the foundation of support

02:55for our culture, our community, and specifically for black men.

02:59So I forgot that I was coming to a room full of support.

03:10So I'll be standing here with you today

03:13with my very own essence cover, with my cheeks

03:15on full display.

03:17I have to say, it's truly an honor, a privilege,

03:21and I thank you so much for having me.

03:27Now, for nearly two decades, this room right here

03:30has been a space unlike any other.

03:32It's been a room filled with love.

03:33It's been a room filled with gratitude.

03:35It's been a room filled with promise.

03:37It's a room bubbling over with what was before, what is now,

03:42and what will be for the future of black women in Hollywood.

03:45Now, this celebration was born out

03:47of a desire to create a space where we can come together

03:49and recognize decades of excellence

03:53that black women have brought to Hollywood

03:55from both film, camera, behind the scenes,

03:58in front of the scenes, behind, doing everything, OK?

04:00Because look, let's face it.

04:02That's just what we do, y'all.

04:03That's what we do.

04:04We lift each other up.

04:05We hold each other down.

04:07And we do it as only we can.

04:10The only power that opposition has

04:13is that which you believe and that which you allow it.

04:17So never forget your own power.

04:19You always stand to be bigger than opposition, always.

04:24And if you ever get fatigued, tired, lose your faith,

04:28look to your left, look to your right,

04:29and then pull out that little pocket mirror

04:31that you use to powder your nose, look at yourself.

04:35We are the answer.

04:36You are the answer.

04:37Unity and community, that is the answer.

04:39That is why we are here today.

04:41I'm going to tell you something.

04:43Can't stay in that word minority,

04:45because look at the attraction of our history as a people.

04:49We have never been minor in any capacity.

04:53Not minor in influence, efficacy, contribution,

04:59accolades, capability, capability, capability,

05:06capability, capability, capability, capability,

05:11capability, everything that opposes us,

05:14we are capable of tearing down, restructuring,

05:18and repurposing through love, light, hope,

05:22that which we are as a people.

05:24Never let anybody make you forget

05:27your true value and your power.

05:29All right, these honorees this year are a testament

05:32to just how far dreams can take you

05:34when you make the decision to pick up your purpose

05:37and never look back.

05:38Like the writer, creator, showrunner of the hit drama

05:45Reasonable Doubt, OK?

05:46OK.

05:47OK.

05:48OK.

05:49OK.

05:50OK.

05:51OK.

05:52Whose work, whose work continues to broaden

05:56the spectrum of possibility for narratives

05:58elevating untold and underrepresented

06:00Black experiences.

06:02She is also known as the Ramla Mohammed.

06:06Or the young icon who is a living proof

06:09of what it looks like to let authenticity lead the way

06:11as you perfect your craft without limitations.

06:16Actress, singer, dancer, director,

06:20a hell of a performer, because you got moves, OK?

06:23The modern day renaissance woman, Miss Teyana Taylor.

06:27Now how about the once in a lifetime powerhouse

06:31whose magic just continues to wow us

06:33one unforgettable performance at a time?

06:37This person literally embodied Black girl magic,

06:39put it on the world stage, let them know.

06:42She said, you're going to get these micro braids.

06:45You're going to get these micro braids,

06:46and then you're going to get these micro braids.

06:49And then you're going to get these micro braids,

06:51and then you're going to get these micro braids.

06:53And then you're going to get these micro braids.

06:55going to get these micro braids, OK?

07:00You're going to get all these micro braids.

07:02Don't get what you don't get, OK?

07:04I'm talking about the actress, the singer, the songwriter,

07:08the producer, Miss Cynthia Erivo.

07:10And y'all know by the time this airs,

07:21she may very well have added EGOT to that list of accolades.

07:27You know we're pulling for you.

07:29We're pulling for you.

07:30And Amy-nominated actress, singer, writer, comedian,

07:34and activist whose career achievements

07:36opened so many doors in film, television, music, and beyond,

07:39opened so many doors for those of us in this room right here.

07:43Our very own national treasure and black Hollywood

07:45matriarch, the legendary Miss Marla Gibbs.

07:49Welcome, everyone.

07:57Now look, I know we ready to get the show

07:59started and everything.

08:00But first, I have a very special message to share.

08:03Last month, the Hollywood community,

08:05we know we were all hit with one of the most

08:07devastating disasters in our country's history.

08:10The fact that it happened right at the brink of this award

08:12season, just as many of us were just

08:14ready to start congratulating everybody's wins,

08:17that we are bound by so much stronger than the zip codes

08:22that separate us, right?

08:24And we all strive to remain true

08:26to the resilient spirit of culture and community

08:28that continues to carry us through that tragedy.

08:30I'd like to acknowledge a few very special guests

08:32in the room who were impacted by those wildfires.

08:35I want us to give a round of applause

08:37for Pasadena resident and NAACP member Juanita West-Tillman.

08:41Hey, Ms. Tillman.

08:52Pasadena resident and owner of Octavia's Bookshelf,

08:56Nikki High.

09:03And Altadena resident, Zaire Calvin.

09:12Just thank you all.

09:13Thank you so much for being here today.

09:15We are with y'all.

09:16Trust, we are with you.

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