Connie Orlando, executive vp of specials, music programming and music strategy at BET, has a lot on her plate right now, just two weeks before the annual BET Awards, which she is executive producing. But she still found time to spearhead the second annual Black Women in Music event, which was held on Friday (June 12) at the Audrey Irmas Pavilion in Los Angeles.
The event, executive produced by the Connie Orlando Foundation, is billed as “an evening celebrating the Black women preserving and protecting the music industry.” This year’s honorees were singers Chaka Khan and Kelly Rowland, choreographer Fatima Robinson, music executive Natina Nimene, Billboard’s Gail Mitchell and Gender Amplified’s Ebonie Smith.
Speaking from the podium, Orlando shed light on why the Black Women in Music event is so important to her.
“This gathering is the living answer to a prayer. We are here to support one another, protect our presence, and build a legacy of love that lights the way for the girls coming behind us. … As we celebrate unapologetically and stand in our collective joy, we know the reality of our world. As Black women, we are constantly asked to labor and be the backbone, often while our own well-being is ignored. We live in a climate that tries to minimize our power and rewrite our truth. For me, this evening is profoundly personal. Uplifting women, safeguarding our children is my divine assignment and life calling, and the urgency is real.
