UPTOWN & LEXUS HONORED Boris Kodjoe & Nicole Ari Parker, Anthony Anderson, Ruby Dee & Ossie Davis and more at the 2022 Lexus Uptown Honors Hollywood
In a pre-Oscar gala, Uptown Magazine spread love and joy by honoring some of our favs in film and tv who are prime examples of Black love on and off the screen.
One couple to remember is the iconic Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis. Their passion for each other was unwavering and beautiful in real life and on the big screen. They were married for over 50 years and spread words of wisdom and activism until their deaths. When we talk about “relationship goals,” we should take cliff notes from them.
Each contributor shaped the portrayal of Black love amongst the Black community.
The New York Post reported the steamy love affair from these posthumous honorees; the great Sidney Poitier, who recently passed away in January 2022 at the age of 94, and Diahann Carroll, who passed away October 14th, 2019. Both carried on a steamy love affair while married (to other people) in the ’60s after being cast in “Porgy and Bess,” and their portrayals of “Connie” and “Eddie,” two Black people falling in love in the most romantic city in the world, Paris, in the 1961 film, “Paris Blues.” Although their real-life affair didn’t last and had its feel of drama, they became friends decades later.
honorees included:
- Actor Anthony Anderson, for his positive portrayal of the upper-middle class husband, “Andre Johnson” on the ABC-TV sitcom, “Black-ish”
- Actors Boris Kodjoe and Nicole Ari Parker, recognizing the on- and off-screen chemistry, love and inspiration of the real-life couple who have been married nearly 17 years
- Chris and Vanessa Rodriguez Spencer, award-winning producer, comedian, actor and writer and casting agent, respectively, for their efforts to create more opportunities for diverse talent and tell more positive stories about people of color in TV and film
- Actor Dondre and producer, director and actress Salli Richardson Whitfield, for their commitment to blaze trails and pave the way for generations to come through their artistic talents
- Jeff and Nicole Friday, founders of the American Black Film Festival, for their efforts to create a platform for Black creatives in the film industry to showcase their work and network “in a way Hollywood wouldn’t,” according to Jeff
- Filmmakers and producers, Tommy and Codie Elaine Oliver, for their creation of the OWN Network docuseries, “Black Love” which brought to life Black couples in a deeply authentic way
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 23: Salli Richardson Whitfield (L) and Dondre Whitfield attend the Lexus Uptown Honors Hollywood event at Sunset Room Hollywood on March 23, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Randy Shropshire/Getty Images for Lexus) 
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 23: Cedric the Entertainer attends the Lexus Uptown Honors Hollywood event at Sunset Room Hollywood on March 23, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Randy Shropshire/Getty Images for Lexus) 
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 23: Richard Brooks and Anthony Anderson attend the Lexus Uptown Honors Hollywood event at Sunset Room Hollywood on March 23, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Randy Shropshire/Getty Images for Lexus) 
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 23: Morris Chestnut (L) and Pam Chestnut attend the Lexus Uptown Honors Hollywood event at Sunset Room Hollywood on March 23, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Randy Shropshire/Getty Images for Lexus) 
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 23: Anthony Anderson (L) and Morris Lamont Chestnut attend the Lexus Uptown Honors Hollywood event at Sunset Room Hollywood on March 23, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Randy Shropshire/Getty Images for Lexus) 
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 23: A general view of atmosphere during the Lexus Uptown Honors Hollywood event at Sunset Room Hollywood on March 23, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Randy Shropshire/Getty Images for Lexus)
“Black love on TV and film has a complicated history. It has taken more than 100 years to regularly see Black people engage romantically, and positively, in visual media,” said Brett Wright, co-CEO and co-founder of Uptown Ventures. “This year’s honorees show us the soul of Black love on and off-screen. Their work is not only inspiring to people of color; it changes how society sees us, as couples and families. They deserve to be celebrated.”
Lexus has been a sponsor of the Uptown Honors Hollywood for the past ten years, and we will be patiently anticipating next year’s honors.
Lexus has been providing innovative technology and luxury vehicles since 1989 with customers in over 90 countries, sold in 244 dealers in the United States. Follow Lexus: www.facebook.com/lexus
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SOURCES The New York Post, Uptown Magazine, Lexus, Getty Images, PRecise Communications
