Lena Waithe’s Hillman Grad Productions Honors Women On The Rise

Over a rainy weekend in Los Angeles, a few dozen fashionably clad people of all colors, genders and ages stepped into the Soho Warehouse to support Emmy winner Lena Waithe as she sponsored an afternoon of transformation and celebration honoring female space makers shifting the landscape in the entertainment industry. This gathering included brunch and a panel moderated by Emmy, Golden Globe, and Tony Award Winner Debbie Allen, with panelists: Emmy Award winner Waithe, Independent Spirit Award Winner A.V. Rockwell of “A Thousand and One”, Sundance Film Festival Winner D. Smith of “Kokomo City”, breakout star of “Twenties” and co-star of “Civil War,”  Jojo T. Gibbs, hosted by NAACP Image Award-Nominee Gia Peppers.

Allen, who represents all things Black Excellence, kicked it off off asking Waithe why the legacy of Hillman lives so deep in her heart. “A Different World felt like an escape for me.  I was experiencing college life and what it meant to have chosen family, how to be a good friend, a good teacher and a good student.  When I won the Emmy you guys were with right there with me even though I learned being the first was a blessing and a curse,” Waithe stated.

Jojo T. Gibbs (star of “Twenties” and currently featured in the feature film “Civil War”) followed it up speaking on how Waithe took a chance on her to lead a network show with “no credits or anything.”  Waithe proudly boasted, “…one of things I’m most proud of is being right about you.”

Screenwriter A.V. Rockwell (“A Thousand and One”) added, “…my experience still ties into someone I have never met across the world,” and that her strength comes from the fact that “everything you’re looking for is within you.”

When it comes to stepping out of the box, Kokomo City’s D. Smith had plenty to say. “What motivates me is audacity.  I belong here and I know that.”  But, the most inspirational words came from Debbie Allen herself, “…having power doesn’t mean you get to be mean or make people feel lesser.  To be powerful is to embrace and truly be able to collaborate.  To give everybody their own sense of power…not THAT’S powerful.”  To which Lena countered, “the mic has been dropped…we are not following up with a comment on that.”

My heart was full as this event was so much more than a celebration – it was the amen corner call to action for all of us to support and champion the roles of women worldwide. By coming together, we were inspired to uplift the next generation of female leaders in an ever-changing cultural climate.