ABOUT
The Truth Awards
Annually, the Black LGBTQ+ community gathers in Los Angeles to recognize and honor those who have made an impact on popular culture, politics and the arts, provide scholarships to LGBTQ+ youth,
and thank those called ally.
and thank those called ally.
Since its inception in 2015, the Truth Awards has honored over 50 individuals including Mayor Karen Bass, Judge Darrin Gayles, James Earl Hardy, Kalen Allen, TS Madison, and Emmy Award winners Colman Domingo, Karamo Brown, Anthony Hemingway, Taj Paxton, Loretta Devine and Sheryl Lee Ralph.
Over $150,000 in scholarships awarded to Black LGBTQ+ students pursuing post-secondary education at the annual celebrations.
Celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Dwyane Wade, Gabrielle Union, Sherri Shepherd, Tisha Campbell, Simone Missick and more have joined the celebration to show their support of the LGBTQ+ community.
Planning for the Truth Awards begins a year in advance and is supported by a dedicated planning committee. Members identify potential honorees and determine scholarship eligibility.
The Planning Committee is comprised of the following:
Andre Scipio
Boneishia Perry
Danny Gibson
David Kirui
Henry Gilmore
James Ward
Jeremy Irwin
Joseph Williams
Mark Marbury
Maurice King
Lila Mays
Vincent Holmes
V. Scott Hamilton
Better Brothers Los Angeles
In March 2014, Better Brothers Los Angeles (BBLA) was created to provide spaces for members of the Black LGBTQ Community to network, socialize and be BETTER – at Life, Love and Community. Developing a sense of community has been a challenge for some within our community given the cultural and religious opposition to our orientation and gender identify. As those challenges have receded in mainstream society, they still present significant difficulties and sometimes constrain a healthy sense of well-being. Since our inception, BBLA has sponsored numerous cultural, informational, recreational, and social/networking events. We continue to sponsor and create opportunities that increase community confidence and pride.
The D.I.V.A Foundation
The DIVA Foundation, founded in 1990 by Emmy Award Winning and Tony nominated actress and HIV/AIDS advocate Sheryl Lee Ralph, is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization created as a living memorial to the many friends she lost to HIV/AIDS as an original cast member of the Broadway musical DREAMGIRLS, and because of her concern for the threat HIV/AIDS posed to women and children. Over the years, the DIVA Foundation has worked to break the silence and erase the stigma still connected to HIV/AIDS and encourage people to get tested in order to know their HIV status.