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Living Legends honored at A. C. Bilbrew Library

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The air was electric as hundreds of community members paid tribute a  host of honorees Saturday during the 29th Annual 2008 Living Legends  program held at the A. C. Bilbrew Library.
Those honored during the  Black History Month ceremony were sportscaster Brad Pye Jr., KJLH  Jacquie Stephens, actresses Angela Bassett, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and  actress, author and pastor Della Reese.  The event, whose theme was  Women in Entertainment, was sponsored by the Los Angeles County Board  of Supervisors and the County of Los Angeles Public Library.
These  are the people that make things happen.  They have honored our community  by coming here,  said Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite-Burke.
During  the ceremony, the honorees frequently paid homage to County Supervisor  Burke, who founded the Living Legends program nearly three decades ago.  Burke is scheduled to retire next year from the Board of Supervisors.
Serving  as master of ceremonies for the event was actor William Allen Young.   Lending their voices in song during the ceremony were special musical  guests Tata Vega and husband-and-wife singing duo Kenny Latimore and  Chante Moore.
Actress Alfre Woodard, who was scheduled to be honored,  was unable to attend the celebration due to filming commitments.
Pye,  a Community Service nominee whose sports column Prying Pye is a popular  staple in black newspapers and whose sports journalism career spans 50  years, was instrumental in striking down segregation in sports in Los  Angeles.  Pye assisted in helping Emmit Alford become the first black  umpire in major league baseball.  He also helped to integrate the sports  boxes that were once off limits to black sports writers.
Pye was  humbled with emotion as he accepted his proclamation from Burke. This  is a long way from Plain Dealing, Louisiana, said Pye, referring to the  small town he hailed from.  We only had one stop light. On Saturday,  we would go down and watch the signals change, quipped Pye as many in  the audience chuckled.
Community Service nominee Stephens, news and  public affairs director of KJLH 102.3 FM radio and the long-time host of  the popular radio show L.A. Speaks Out said she was equally honored in  receiving the Living Legend award.  I can only say thank you, said  Stephens.  It is indeed an honor to be up here with such achievers.  Im so happy.  The doors are always open for you at KJLH.
Stage  and screen actress Angela Bassett, who was nominated for an academy  award for her riveting portrayal in the Tina Turner biopic Whats Love  Got to Do With It, said that she was grateful to be honored. Bassett  also noted that she had loved libraries and as a child and that books  had fueled her creative imagination.
Within the pages of books, I  was able to travel, daydream and imagine, Bassett told the audience.   I know we have the Internet, but Im a tactile person.  I like to touch  and hold a book.
Pausing, she added,  Being in the library also  taught me how to sit down somewhere and be quiet.  I feel honored and  deeply grateful to be presented with this Living Legend Award, said  Bassett.
Bassett added that although she was glad to be honored as a  living legend, she said she would pay special heed to the word living  included in the title.  It means there is still work to do at home and  on the field, she noted.
Lauded for her portrayal as Deena Jones in  the original Dreamgirls which earned her both a Tony and a Drama Desk  Award nomination and for her critically acclaimed Divas Simply Singing,  an annual benefit to combat AIDS, actress Sheryl Lee Ralph said she was  emotionally moved that Burke had chosen her to be honored with the  Living Legend award.  Ralph acknowledged that Burke was one of her role  models when she was growing up.  Im that little girl who picked up an  Ebony magazine one day and there was a picture of a beautiful black  woman, said Ralph, who found out that the woman was Burke.  I said,  Daddy, shes beautiful. Daddy said, And shes smart, too. I started  dreaming about California. And here I am today accepting the Living  Legend Award from Ms. Burke, said Ralph, turning to thank  the  supervisor.
Ralph, who has been on the forefront of the AIDS  battle, then launched into a dramatic presentation concerning AIDS.   How many of you have friends or family members dying of this disease,  but you are not saying anything?  I am not infected by the disease, but I  am affected, she said.  If one of us suffers, we all suffer. Peering  into the audience, she added,  Dont sleep on it.  Dont let it be  like Juneteenth when slavery was abolished and the slaves were the last  ones to know it.
Emmy and Grammy nominated author, actress, singer  and ordained minister Della Reese, who enjoyed nine seasons on the  popular television show Touched By An Angel, candidly revealed,  Its  marvelous to see you and its wonderful when we can gather together. I  just love it when people love me.  It makes me feel good all over my  body.
Others appearing at the Living Legend event were Rev. Eric P.  Lee, who delivered the invocation; Neuhaus Entertainment Group  recording artists Trilogy, County Librarian Margaret Donnellan Todd, and  the Rev. John DeRon Johnson of Phillips Temple CME Church, who  delivered the benediction.  Also on hand to pay tribute to the honorees  were actress Chandra Wilson of the television show Grays Anatomy;  photographer Howard Bingham; the Honorable Zenita Moore, mayor of  Belize; Senator Vincent Hughes; Councilman Bernard Parks; and  Assemblymembers Mike Davis and Mervyn Dymally.

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