The image of black men in America boasts a turbulent history, to say the least. These men are often seen as the 'no good' members of our society with no hopes of a future.

By the virtue of America’s current Commander in Chief, however, we know that those allegations are far from the truth. The truth of black men's potential as well as their worth was the basis for S.Starr Enterprise’s awards ceremony entitled "Celebrate Thy Brother.”  The community event took place in New York City at Hotel Pennsylvania on January 25.

The pre-awards ceremony consisted of different vendor tables, light snacks, some line dancing, and red carpet interviews by various media outlets.  As the crowd transitioned into the seating area for the awards portion, a prayer was offered up to begin the festivities. 

Then, we were taken back to the motherland as Bokandeye African Dance Group and drummers performed.  The troupe had five dancers in total with lively outfits, engaging the crowd with their array of moves. The rhythms played by the drummers captivated the audience, releasing a vibrant energy in the room.

While the ceremony for the day was geared toward celebrating black men, however, the black woman was poised to do the celebrating.  

A very powerful video montage was shown called, "Do You know how hard it is to make a Black Woman smile?" painted a vivid picture of how the black woman has stood in the background  with her quiet strength to help lift her counterpart.  The juxtaposition of her physical and metaphorical children was a key point to understanding what makes the black woman smile.

The host for the evening was the visionary of the movement to “celebrate thy brother” -- Ms. Sheneese Starr.  She was introduced quite eloquently by the managing editor of NEWD magazine, Ms. Tiffani Knowles. 

Starr's charismatic and energetic personality was evident from the time she graced the microphone.  Her passionate resolve to lift up brothers and return to the mindset of true community was evident.  The audience was taken back at first by Starr's enthusiasm, thus she had to do a few crowd checks to ensure that attendees knew how to genuinely celebrate these men. 

 "You have to make your autograph mean something before it means something," said Starr.

As with any awards show, there must be a bevy of live performances to break up the monotony.  The first came from a gifted 14 year old named Noerleen performing her original song called "Beware.”  

The lyrics and flow of the song were years beyond her age, a testament of a true artist in the making.

After a beautiful rendition of "Brotha" was the perfect segue into honoring the handsome array of brothers for their work to uplift their respective communities.

The first honoree for the night was Trevor Scott.  Scott is a dating designer and relationship coach. He is newly married and helps people pinpoint what to look for in a potential mate.  He turned his own misfortunes in relationships around to better himself and be in a position to aid others on a normal basis. He emphasized taking inventory of one's past and surroundings growing up to decipher clues about who you are and why you do certain things.

The second honoree was Kevin Rollins, a karate instructor who is active in his community teaching martial arts to young men who are among the at-risk population in New York City.

Andre Mitchell was honored for his Man-Up  organization, a “real” street & community based not-for-profit organization servicing Brooklyn, New York through after-school, summer day camp, employment readiness, mentoring, sports, recreational and advocacy programs.

Harold Branch is a poet who was honored. His life story was featured in an MTV Documentary - (Taking a Stand against Violence - ”Warning Signs”). He toured with the Goo Goo Dolls & Sugar Ray, performing at Woodstock 99  and the Winter Olympics.

Dr. Frederick R. Lester was honored for being the Global Managing Director of the Men’s Empowerment Network.  He is also the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Strategic Advantage, Inc., a privately-held management and technology consultancy headquartered in Washington, DC.

Pastor Asaph Womack was honored for his work as a recording artist, spiritual leaders and humanitarian.  He is the founder and Senior Pastor of The Life Center Family Worship in Bartonsville, Pa. He has a long history of serving in the inner cities of Newark, NJ by counseling gang members and feeding and clothing the homeless for over 25 years.

Anthony "Tony" Herbert Sr., was honored for his work as a Community Advocate and Small Business owner who has a broad range of corporate, community, political and business leadership experience. He is The President of The Brooklyn East Chapter of Rev. Al Sharpton’s The National Action Network. Tony has served as a Vocational/Educational Specialist with a Mentally Ill Homeless Woman's Shelter in Brownsville Brooklyn just before joining the National Action Network. 

Dr. Boyce Watkins has honored for being a public intellectual because he changed the definition of what it means to be a black scholar and leader in America.  Dr. Watkins has made thousands of appearances on national media including CNN, BET, MSNBC and many others.   He is also the founder of the Your Black World Coalition, with over 70,000 members worldwide. He is the author of several books including What if George Bush were a Black Man?, Financial Lovemaking 101: Merging Assets with Your Partner in Ways that Feel Good and “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about College.

Other honorees included Shanduke McPhatter, Kevin Brown, Jose Gonzalez and Radames Roberts.

During the panel discussion featuring all the honorees, several men in attendance broke down emotionally, sharing that they had never been to an event of this nature where men were being highlighted for the good they do as opposed to the crimes they are committing or the families they refuse to lead.

Each man who stood up to comment stated that they were encouraged by the role models that stood before them.

Once such man was photographer Hector Zapata.

“I want to thank you all and I can truly say that after day, I love each and every one of ya’ll,” he said, fighting back tears.

In a lighthearted, educational tidbit, host Sheneese Star remarked that the meaning of this event is what characterizes the difference between the feminist movement and the women's movement.  She stressed that the two are not one in the same. The women's movement has always been more about empowerment and being secure in one's independence. 

“It has nothing to do with writing off men and saying they are not important in the grand scheme of life,” said Starr.