This past Friday, the inaugural Politics and Inclusion dinner was held in Washington, D.C. to celebrate bi-partisan diverse voices in politics and media during White House Correspondents Weekend. Rising stars and established veteran industry leaders were celebrated across all major news networks and traditional print media at the event.

In the midst of the balmy spring evening at Masseria in Northeast Washington D.C., an acoustic violinist's performance set an encouraging tone for the intimate evening. Abby Phillip, anchor of CNN's Inside Politics Sunday, and Lauren Wesley Wilson, founder and CEO of ColorComm, served as co-hosts of the Politics & Inclusion Dinner. Notable guests in attendance included Symone Sanders, Don Lemon, Yamiche Alcindor, Sunny Hostin, and Gayle King, to name a few.

EBONY was a proud media partner for the event and had an opportunity to witness the unity on display throughout the evening. Google and Moët Hennessey USA were also sponsors for the event.

The View's Sunny Hostin said of the event, "I am so excited to be with so many of my closest friends and colleagues at the Politics & Inclusion Dinner. It is truly an honor to be a part of the ColorComm community and represent diversity and inclusion on such an important weekend for the integrity of media in our country. When breaking into the journalism space, there were so many stories that needed to be told, but women and, especially, women of color, were extremely underrepresented, which only motivated me to ignite change in the industry. It means so much to be here tonight and look around the room and be surrounded by so many decision makers that reflect true diversity."

From left: Tiffany Cross, Ana Navarro, Lauren Wesley Wilson, Abby Phillip, Sunny Hostin and Suzanne Malveaux. Image: Madison Voelkel/BFA.com

"The Politics & Inclusion Dinner during White House Correspondents’ Weekend is an opportunity to celebrate the journalists and executives who help strengthen the voices of those who are often underrepresented in the overall business and political discourse,” explained Wesley Wilson.  “We honor and celebrate inclusivity.”

Added Phillip, “We look forward to recognizing the contributions of political journalists of color and the leaders who support them. This event is an opportunity to push for greater inclusivity and diversity of coverage on behalf of communities that are often marginalized. But it’s also a chance to celebrate the progress that has already been made.”

“There’s still a lot of work to be done when it comes to newsroom diversity and I love working for a company that’s leading the way. My entire career everything I’ve done has centered on the rising majority of this country. This dinner shows that the keepers of the culture are an integral part of not only covering Beltway politics but also saving democracy," shared Tiffany Cross, host of the Cross Connection. "My colleagues across networks and platforms play a vital role in reflecting our lived experience to our audiences. Instead of waiting for a space at someone else’s table, I’m honored to have a seat at the table that we built ourselves."

From left: Gayle King and Abby Phillip. Image: Madison Voelkel/BFA.com
Don Lemon checking out an illustration of the Politics & Inclusion Host Committee Dinner. Image: Madison Voelkel/BFA.com
From left: Trymaine Lee, PBS News Weekend Anchor Geoff Bennett, the Washington Post's Eugene Scott at the Politics & Inclusion dinner. Image: Madison Voelkel/BFA.com
Eugene Daniels from Politico with Sunny Hostin from The View. Image: BJ Coleman.