Honoring:
Louis Gossett, Jr.
Fmr. U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young
Marla Gibbs
and more…

Host: Obba Babatunde

Celebrity Appearances by:
Glynn Turman
Kim Whitney
and more…

Performances by:
Howard Hewitt
Eloise Laws
Shanica Knowles

The Celestial Awards of Excellence ‘Salute to Excellence’ Celebration was created to acknowledge the accomplishments of persons of note who are masters of their professions and outstanding contributors to society

Louis Cameron Gossett Jr. is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his Academy Award-winning role as Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley in the 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman,and his Emmy Award-winning role as Fiddler in the 1977 ABC television miniseries Roots. Gossett has also starred in numerous film productions including A Raisin In The Sun, The Landlord. Skin Game, Travels with My Aunt, The Laughing Policeman, The Deep, Jaws 3-D (1983), Wolfgang Petersen‘s Enemy Mine, the Iron Eagle series, Toy Soldiers and The Punisher, in an acting career that spans over five decades.^{[1]From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia}

I had a chance to sit down and talk with Mr. Lou Gossett Jr.  who is dedicatied to an all-out conscientious offensive against racism. Lou quotes “Violence is a war, and the energy we exert on war, I would like to pray that energy gets reverted back to a communal effort to save the planet. Perhaps

generate some energy toward the salvation of the planet because when we win a war we win a dying planet.”

Andrew Young Jr. was an activist for the Civil Rights Movement. He became a member of Congress, mayor of Atlanta and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations

QUOTES

“There just comes a time when any social movement has to come in off the street and enter politics.”

—Andrew Young Jr.

Born on March 12, 1932, in New Orleans, Louisiana, Andrew Young Jr. became active in the Civil Rights Movement, working with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Entering politics, Young served in Congress, was the first African-American ambassador to the United Nations and became mayor of Atlanta. In 1981, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Marla Gibbs is an actress, comedian, singer, writer and producer, whose career spans five decades. Gibbs is known for her role as George Jefferson‘s maid, Florence Johnston, in the CBS sitcom, The Jeffersons (1975–85), for which she received five nominations for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. She also starred in the show’s spin-off Checking In (1981), and for her leading role as Mary Jenkins in the NBC sitcom, 227 (1985–90), which she also co-produced and sang on the theme song.^[1] Gibbs has won a total of seven NAACP Image Awards.^[2] In later years, Gibbs played supporting roles in films The Meteor Man (1993), Lost & Found (1999), The Visit (2000), The Brothers (2001), and Madea’s Witness Protection (2012).From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This was a night of Excellence, the preformances were great, the ambiance was right and everyone looked Absolutely Gorgeous! I’m definitely looking forward to the Celestial awards next year.