STAR STUDDED BET HONORS

Last night I attended the BET Honors 2012 ceremony. The biggest highlight was when *First Lady Michelle Obama took the stage to introduce poet Maya Angelou. Also in attendance were performers and fellow honorees Stevie Wonder, Spike Lee, The Tuskegee Airmen, Beverly Kearney, Mariah Carey, and other African American celebrities who called the black community to civic action, starting with voting in the 2012 presidential election.

The politics-meets-glamour event fits in with the recently ramped up efforts by Obama to help her husband, President Barack Obama, win a challenging re-election bid in November.

Obama, in a crimson, one-shouldered gown, presented the Literary Arts award to Angelou and appealed to the crowd to follow Angelou’s example as an activist.

“It is not enough merely to seek greatness for ourselves, we must help others discover greatness within themselves. We need to reach down and reach out, and give back and lift others,” she said.

Others attending included singers Patti LaBelle and Aretha Franklin, as well as former Secretary of State Colin Powell and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. Gabrielle Union did an awesome job as host. Other celebs included Jill Scott, Queen Latifah, Cicely Tyson, Kelly Rowland, Anthony Hamilton, Common, Jennifer Hudson, Cuba Gooding Jr., Terrance Howard and many more.

The taping of the award show, hosted by Black Entertainment Television was held at the historic Warner Theatre in downtown Washington, DC. The Show premieres Monday Feb. 13, at 9pm