Hallmark Mahogany, a prominent lifestyle destination, recently hosted its inaugural awards ceremony, Mahogany Honors. The upscale event took place at the InterContinental Buckhead in Atlanta, Georgia. It was a day aimed to celebrate the achievements and contributions of Black women who have been trailblazers, led communities, become cultural icons, and served as unsung heroes in their respective fields.
Mahogany Honors paid tribute to a stellar lineup of honorees, including esteemed individuals such as Pinky Cole Hayes, Eva Marcille, Dr. Contessa Metcalfe, Egypt Sherrod, Dr. Lakeysha Hallmon, Malinda Williams, Melissa Mitchell and more. All of the women chosen have left an indelible mark on their industries and communities.
In an exclusive interview with ADW, Egypt Sherrod, HGTV Host & CEO, Indigo Road Family of Companies, expressed how humbled she was by this honor.
“I’m always just humbled. I’m in awe. I’m in a room full of other amazing women that I admire, I aspire, in some form or fashion, to live up to,” Sherrod said. “And I’m being honored right along with them so that just humbles me every day. I’m thankful that I can continue to do the things that I love and people see me.”
Spotlighting its commitment to the African American community, McDonald’s proudly served as a presenting sponsor for Mahogany Honors, aligning with its Black & Positively Golden Movement.
The room was filled with inspiration, empowerment, and celebration. Attendees were moved by the stories and achievements of the honorees, leaving with a renewed sense of purpose and motivation to make a difference in their own lives and communities.
The standout moment of the event was the fireside chat featuring Fantasia Burrino-Taylor, moderated by Alexis Kerr, VP of Mahogany Honors. The Grammy and NAACP Award winning singer and actress engaged in a heartfelt and tear jerking discussion where she detailed how she’s lost everything twice.
‘People loved what they could get from me. Now, I’m realizing that I can’t allow anyone else to take control of the gift. He gave me the gift and I can’t allow anyone else to prostitute the gift,” Burrino-Taylor said. “I won’t even say that I’m upset about going through what I went through. I’m glad I went through it because I would not be doing what I’m doing today.”
As the ceremony carried on, attendees were served a savory brunch and sipped on delicious cocktails.
In addition to honoring outstanding individuals, Mahogany Honors shined a spotlight on Black-owned businesses, providing a platform for entrepreneurs to showcase their products and services.
One Black woman-owned business at the event was SAFO HAIR, a plant-based hair care brand that features CBD infused products. ADW caught up with Dr. Ellana Stinson, emergency care physician and Founder/CEO of the company. She gave us more insight about her physician-formulated product and the impact of vending at events like Mahogany Honors.
“I started this brand out of a need and wanting to bring more awareness to overall wellness and self-care. More particularly conscientiousness around the consumer goods that we’re putting on our body. I don’t think people, as at least in our community, don’t really focus a lot on how that affects us inside,” Dr. Stinson said. “This is my second Mahogany Honors event. I really appreciate the fact that they support small businesses. It’s really awesome being in this environment. The caliber of people they bring here, the networking, the access, the people, the support, and the sisterhood above everything else has been really critical.”
The inaugural Mahogany Honors was an afternoon to remember. Celebrating womanhood, excellence, resilience, and leadership within the Black community. As attendees gathered to honor these exceptional women, they left inspired to continue pushing boundaries, breaking barriers, and striving for greatness in their own lives.
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