The Ebony Power 100 Gala Celebrated Black Excellence, Honoring Tracee Ellis Ross, Teyana Taylor And Iman

On November 4, Ebony Magazine held its annual Ebony Power 100 Gala, celebrating industry trailblazers across various fields, including music, media, business, entertainment, and philanthropy, at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles. The gala, hosted by actress and comedian Robin Thede, featured glitzy performances by Ari Lennox and Lucky Daye, as well as historical documentaries highlighting the publication’s impact within the Black community and beyond. It honored Tracee Ellis Ross, Teyana Taylor, Shaquille O’Neal, Iman, “Love Island’s” Olandria Carthen, and Lonnie Bunch III, the fourteenth secretary of the Smithsonian and the first African American and first historian to serve as head of the Institution. The gala also marked their 80th anniversary, as Ebony Magazine continues to illuminate the Black perspective, celebrate Black innovation, and serve as the ultimate curator of culture—past, present, and future.

To kick off the evening, pastor Touré Roberts led the audience in a thoughtful prayer, calling the crowd to action to continue the necessary work in the Black community. He encouraged changemakers to recognize their victories and be inspired by the outstanding performances of the evening’s honorees. The prayer concluded with a wish for rich conversations, fellowships, and the courage to bless others. “You have incredible people together. Who are serious about their craft and their culture and their art and their industry,” he said. “I believe the Spirit wanted me to tell you tonight, as we get ready to experience incredible things and amongst the greatest in our culture, for you to look around and take it in. When you find yourself in a moment when things don’t feel like they’re going to work out, remember this moment. The truth of the matter is, we’ve already won. We’ve already overcome.”

The first award of the evening went to Ross for being a pathbreaker in the worlds of entrepreneurship and entertainment, from her successful business, Pattern Beauty, to her dedication on-screen. To present Ebony’s Pathbreaker of the Year Award, the beloved cast of “Girlfriends” reunited to grace the stage together. Actresses, Golden Brooks, Jill Marie Jones, and Persia White shared glowing remarks to honor their friend and former colleague. “This year marks the 25th anniversary of ‘Girlfriends.’ By the way, 172 episodes of television that I am so proud of, proud of what we did, what we do together, and that it still has an impact,” Ross said in her acceptance speech. “Thank you, Ebony, for celebrating our stories and for naming me a pathbreaker. It all started with ‘Girlfriends.’ Joan Carol Clayton put me on the map. I feared that maybe I had already peaked, because the pearly gates of Hollywood did not open after ‘Girlfriends’ the way that I had hoped,” she reflected.

Ross also shared the power of pivoting to other entrepreneurial endeavors and diversifying her roles on television, such as expanding Pattern Beauty after a decade in the making and showcasing her personal life with a new docuseries, “Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross,” on the Roku channel. “I spent a decade building Pattern Beauty. As founder, CEO, and owner, I have intentionally built a company that celebrates the joy and diversity of Black beauty in all its decisions. We are a company run by incredible Black women, and after six years on shelves, we have grown into a global, multi-million-dollar premium brand with 47 employees, 11 retail partners, and over 60 products in hair and now body. Earlier this year, I launched ‘Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross’ on the Roku channel, and I was delighted to find how deeply it resonated with people like Pattern. This show was my way of filling a gap in how we see ourselves in the world,” she said.

She explained that her show is an invitation to experience life entirely on our own terms, and an invitation to choose yourself again. “I tell you all of this to say, please do not wait for something or someone to experience all that’s possible for your life. Dream big and intentionally and work hard to make those dreams come true, and even when they don’t go as you had planned or hoped or wished or as the world had prescribed to you, choose to live joyfully. This is my life philosophy. I refuse to shrink myself or wait for permission to live a meaningful and adventurous life. And as I’ve said before, and as my life has proven, you do not have to give birth to a baby to help push humanity forward. You don’t have to be partnered in order to have a fulfilling life, I cultivate pleasure and delight at the same time that I’m staying open for someone’s dusty son. I’m just kidding about the dusty. I’ve done enough dust. I’m open and I’m available for my life and my partner and other blessings that might lead me on the path. So Ebony, if by Pathbreaker you mean me joining the ever-expanding forest of Black women owning our legacies and being of service to our communities with the things that we make, then I accept this with great humility on behalf of all of us. And just so you know, I’m just getting started,” she stated.

Actress, mental health advocate, and entrepreneur Taraji P. Henson presented the One Battle After Another star Taylor with the Entertainer of the Year Award. Humbled, Taylor tearfully accepted the award and shared her deep gratitude for being honored, thanking her loved ones, including her beau, actor Aaron Pierre, and two daughters, while demonstrating her strong faith in God. “First Thessalonians 5:18 says, Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ, Jesus. God, He is the author. He is the mediator, the one who wrote my story before I even knew I’d be standing here tonight. Father God, in the name of Jesus, you gave me the strength when I was tired, you gave me the strength when I was scared, you gave me the ability to check myself when I doubted myself. And through all, you made me victorious, more than a conqueror. Thank you for consistently showing me that your love doesn’t have conditions,” she emotionally stated. Taylor continued, “Thank you for placing the right people around me, the perfect energy, the perfect village, my babies, my parents, my man, my reps at WME, my reps at my label Def Jam, all my family and friends that I love and respect so much. Thank you for loving me the way you do. Thank you for holding me down. I don’t take it lightly, and I don’t take it for granted. God, in the name of Jesus, gives all the glory. And y’all tonight get all my love. Thank you, Ebony, for the amazing honor.”

Elaine Welteroth, former Teen Vogue editor-in-chief and founder of the BirthFUND, presented the Icon of the Year Award to supermodel and entrepreneur Iman. “When I first stepped into this industry, I was told that beauty had a strict code, that success meant fitting into the mold of someone else’s desire, but I’ve always held the belief that our power as women comes from the fact that we don’t fit,” said Iman. “We expand and receive. We create, we redefine, and rebirth. Now, as you all know, I’ve been the woman combining foundations and lipsticks in the mirror to meet her match. I’ve been the woman sitting in rooms being told diversity doesn’t sell, and I’ve also been the woman that will build something with intentionality, with community, and most importantly unification, and ultimately with a fierce belief that every shade deserves to be separate.”

She continued, “You see, representation isn’t about visibility. It’s about land and recognition. It’s about our daughters seeing themselves in spaces that weren’t designed to include them in the conversation and knowing that they belong there. It’s about rewriting the narrative that beauty is a single vision. I stand here tonight because of my ancestral team, women who taught me that beauty is not something you change. It’s something you inhabit, and I hope that when the next generation looks at my journey, they don’t just see the triumphs and values. I hope they see proof. Proof that we can lead industries, proof that we can build empires, proof that we can be strong and soft, bold and tender, visionary and human all at once. To every woman who has ever been told she’s too dark, too light, too loud, too much, remember this: the world’s definitions were never written for you. You were never meant to fit in. You were meant to stand out.”

Ebony’s CEO, Eden Bridgeman Sklenar, closed the evening with an inspirational speech emphasizing the importance of faith, perseverance, and the courage to see opportunities where others see limits, as the founder of Ebony, John H. Johnson, and businessman Ulysses “Junior” Bridgeman did many years ago. “John H Johnson and Junior Bridgeman, born into eras that made little room for their dreams, yet they dreamed anyway, driven by faith and purpose. Rising from humble beginnings, they became architects of legacy, transferring industries and expanding the boundaries of possibility. Their journeys remind us that greatness is not something that is inherited. It is forged. It’s built on faith, perseverance, and the courage to see opportunity where others see limits. Their stories challenge each of us to build something that lasts, not just for ourselves, but for the generations that will follow. Standing here tonight, I am deeply aware of the privilege and responsibility that come with carrying that torch. Their lessons of discipline, faith, integrity, and belief are not lost on me. I have received their wisdom, their sacrifices, and their vision. With this inheritance comes a charge to ensure Ebony fulfills its divine assignment, to uplift, illuminate, and showcase the greatness within our community. So this evening, I affirm Ebony will endure. It will remain a home for our people, a mirror for our truth, and a beacon for our future. If we don’t tell our stories, who will?” she shared.