Honorees

Through its groundbreaking representation of inclusivity, Marvel’s Black Panther (2018) sparked a phenomenon that spoke to the range that a predominantly Black cast could offer if afforded the opportunity to shine. Proclaiming “Wakanda Forever,” fans have excitedly welcomed the Black Panther universe into their homes and hearts since its inception.

In the franchise’s latest installment, actors Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke and film series newcomer Dominique Thorne continue the epic saga of the kingdom of Wakanda—all while carrying on the legacy of the late Chadwick Boseman. Boseman’s portrayal of T’Challa/Black Panther dramatically impacted the world while inspiring the creation of diverse characters in the film and TV landscape. The first movie—the 14th highest-grossing film of all time—has been recognized by critics and audiences as a watershed moment for Hollywood and gave Black folks the world over an infectious sense of joy.

Merging the wonder of STEM with rich ancestral and contemporary culture, Black Panther has become a cultural pillar in the Black community that will withstand the test of time. The sequel will undoubtedly continue to break barriers for Black creatives in Hollywood while championing diversity worldwide.

A vanguard who has paved the way for creative minds over his 30-plus-year career, Spike Lee is a prolific filmmaker, director, documentarian, author, professor, philanthropist and actor who doesn’t take the Black artistic form lightly.

The Brooklyn-raised Lee is responsible for crafting many of the most notable flicks that are essential to the Black film vernacular—She’s Gotta Have It, Crooklyn, School Daze, Do The Right Thing, Malcolm X and most recently Da 5 Bloods, just to name a few. Through his production company 40 Acres and a Mule, Lee’s “A Spike Lee Joint” has influenced the aesthetic and storytelling style of multiple generations. While known for being unapologetic through his art, Lee has received many accolades for his distinct cinematic style. In 2015, he received an Honorary Academy Award. Several of Lee’s films have been selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry because of their culturally significant value.

Most recently, he has entered into a new creative partnership with Netflix, which will see him directing and producing narrative features under a multi-year deal with the streamer. He previously collaborated with Netflix on a number of projects including: Da 5 Bloods (which he directed and co-wrote), the series She’s Gotta Have It (which he created, wrote and directed), the film Rodney King (which he directed) and the Stefon Bristol sci-fi film See You Yesterday (which he produced).

He is currently directing a multi-part documentary on activist and athlete Colin Kaepernick for ESPN Films.

As president and CEO of McKissack & McKissack, Cheryl McKissack Daniel sits at the helm of the oldest minority- and woman-owned design and construction company in America. A civil engineer with over three decades of experience, McKissack Daniel is a fifth-generation construction magnate in the hard-knuckled, male-dominated trillion-dollar industry. Earning both her bachelor’s and master’s degree in civil engineering from Howard University, she has successfully contracted more than $50 billion dollars in construction over the past decade through the New York-based family business.

McKissack Daniel upholds a rich business legacy started by her grandfather in 1905 and is able to trace her long lineage of architects and builders back to an enslaved Ashanti ancestor in 1790. Moreover, she advocates for systemic changes across a multitude of sectors, both through her work on many prominent projects across the United States and by serving on a variety of steering committees. A Nashville, Tennessee, native, McKissack Daniel has overseen the execution of initiatives such as the New Terminal One at JFK International Airport, MART125 Cultural Center projects, the Columbia University Manhattanville expansion and The Studio Museum in Harlem, to name a few. She also serves as NYC’s MTA Independent Engineer Consultant overseeing the Capital Construction Program of the nation’s largest transportation system.

McKissack Daniel’s keen commitment to strategic planning derives from her belief that such planning establishes the proper foundation for an ethical future. This year the firm celebrated the 100th anniversary milestone of its founder’s licensing. In addition, the NAACP and CBS Studios recently announced plans to bring McKissack Daniel’s story to life via a new scripted series currently in development.

Overseeing brand strategy and marketing efforts for Target, Maurice Cooper has been essential to the corporation’s commitment to better connect with Black audiences by creating guest-centric, culturally relevant and inclusive marketing strategies. Since joining the company in September 2020, the brand has grown its business tremendously while showing up in the spaces Black audiences find purpose and value. This has been effectively done across all media activity while built on a $1 billion annual investment.

Via its REACH (Racial Equity Action and Change) initiative, Target vowed to invest 5 percent of its annual media budget with Black-owned media companies and has added more internal resources to help support those efforts. Prior to his work at Target, Cooper served as a standout leader at the Wingstop Restaurants, Holiday Inn Brand Family at InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) and The Coca-Cola Co. And he has received national recognition from The CMO Club, Adweek, The Internationalist and MediaVest for excellence in marketing.

In addition to being an award-winning marketing executive with a pulse on what builds true customer affinity, Cooper is a storyteller who finds joy in helping brands connect authentically with consumers. The Morehouse College and University of Virginia Darden School of Business alumnus currently sits on a number of boards including the Board of Directors of the Ad Council, the Google Retail Advisory Council and the TikTok Cultural Advisory Board, among others.

Tamika Palmer grew up surrounded by extended family in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Popular in school, she loved to Double Dutch, a hobby she enjoyed sharing with her daughters. She got her first job as a babysitter at 15 and later worked as a nurse’s aide. Her first daughter, Breonna Taylor, was born on June 5, 1993, and her second daughter, Ju’Niyah Palmer, was born in 2000. A passionate motorcyclist, Tamika Palmer moved to Louisville, Kentucky, with her daughters in 2007 after visiting the city on a biking tour.

Palmer’s life changed forever when, in the early hours of March 13, 2020, she received a call from her daughter’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, who told her that someone had kicked in the door of Taylor’s apartment and shot her. From that moment on, and as she learned more about the botched police raid that led to Taylor’s death, Palmer became a leader in the fight for justice for her daughter and for others. Palmer turned unimaginable loss into a catalyst for change, taking her civil rights message to the masses.

Within six months of Taylor’s killing, Palmer and her family entered into a settlement with the City of Louisville, the first-ever such settlement to include not just financial compensation for her family but a commitment to specific police reforms aimed at preventing deaths like Taylor’s in the future.

Palmer remains a leading voice in the national fight for justice for her daughter and victims of gun and police violence everywhere. Through her bravery and tenacity, Palmer’s work helps to protect young Black futures for generations to come.

Wanda Cooper-Jones hails from Waynesboro, Georgia, and is the mother of three young adults, Marcus, Jasmine and Ahmaud Arbery, her youngest, born 27 years ago on Mother’s Day. He was a kind, fun-loving young man with dreams, hopes and aspirations.

Arbery’s murder in the Brunswick, Georgia, community catapulted Cooper-Jones into the national conversation around the racially-motivated homicides of Black people, and without hesitation, she waged a campaign with fierce mother love to find justice for her son. Through victorious verdicts in both state and federal trials, Cooper-Jones used her voice and her power to ensure a positive narrative around Arbery’s legacy. She has worked tirelessly to not only fight for her son, but to stand as an example for so many that have lost children to race-related hate crimes.

Cooper-Jones ensured that Arbery’s spirit and legacy continues while fighting to make sure that no other Black mother faces the inexplicable pain of losing a child to violence and are then blamed for their own death. In 2021, she started the Ahmaud Arbery Foundation, catering to young Black boys’ physical and mental well-being.

In December 2021 a panel discussion titled, “Shining a Light on Mental Wellness in Black Boys,” brought together professionals from the mental health community to explore barriers that impede the mental wellness of Black boys. The foundation also established scholarships in Arbery’s name at Brunswick High School in Georgia, from which he graduated in 2012.

Arbery will always serve as Cooper-Jones’ beacon of light as she continues the work of the foundation established in his name.

With her own unique flare and infectious sense of humor, Issa Rae first received attention for her award-winning web series Awkward Black Girl and the accompanying New York Times best-seller, The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl. She created and starred in the Peabody Award-winning HBO series Insecure, which garnered her multiple Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. Rae has also made her mark on the big screen, starring in The Photograph and The Lovebirds, which she also executive produced.

In 2020, Rae formed HOORAE, a multi-faceted media company that develops content across mediums in an effort to continue to break boundaries in storytelling and representation. Via HOORAE’s WarnerMedia deal, Rae has also expanded her executive producer slate with the Emmy Award-winning A Black Lady Sketch Show, the fan-favorite docuseries Sweet Life and the HBO Max series Rap Sh*t.

Rae’s commitment to her hometown of Los Angeles is evident in both her personal and professional pursuits. After planting roots near her childhood home, she decided to set up HOORAE’s headquarters in the heart of South Los Angeles. Her participation in the nonprofit organization Destination Crenshaw furthers her mission of celebrating Black Angelenos. Her ownership in Hilltop Cafe + Kitchen provides much-needed jobs and opportunities for local residents and a space for creatives to unlock their potential. Additionally, as co-owner of vegan hair care line Sienna Naturals, Rae is reimagining Black wellness and beauty.