March 11, 2026
Graves closed by asking attendees to think about how historical past will decide at this time’s second.
Earl “Butch” Graves Jr. delivered a pointed name to motion throughout his opening remarks on the 2026 Legacy Awards Gala, marking the twentieth anniversary of the BLACK ENTERPRISE Ladies of Energy Summit.
Addressing a room of executives, entrepreneurs and cultural leaders, Graves celebrated 20 years of honoring Black girls’s management whereas warning that the present local weather threatens hard-won progress.
“It’s my honor and pleasure to welcome you to the Legacy Awards Gala for our 20-year milestone of the one and solely Ladies of Energy Summit,” Graves stated. “At Black Enterprise, we are going to at all times rejoice the persistence, creativity, dedication, diligence, genius, integrity and religion we draw upon to succeed day by day of our lives.”
However the president and CEO of BE stated the second calls for greater than celebration. Graves famous that the broader surroundings has grown more and more hostile to the ambitions of Black People—significantly Black girls within the workforce.
“We can not ignore the truth that the present surroundings has grow to be undeniably hostile to the ambitions of Black folks—and particularly Black girls,” Graves stated. “Greater than 300,000 Black girls grew to become unemployed or left the workforce between February and July 2025 alone.”
The Legacy Awards acknowledge the achievements of distinguished girls whose careers have reshaped industries and opened doorways for future generations. Among the many figures highlighted within the occasion’s commemorative journal are trailblazers akin to former Xerox CEO and chairman Ursula Burns, legendary singer Dionne Warwick and former White Home senior adviser Valerie Jarrett.
Graves framed the second as a take a look at of management throughout company America.
“To these of you on boards and in government suites, no matter your race or gender: what is going on is flawed on your shareholders, workers and prospects,” he stated. “It’s unacceptable to be current however silent. Silence equals complicity.”
He urged executives to talk out in opposition to the rising backlash concentrating on range, fairness and alternative initiatives.
“It’s time so that you can rise up and converse up and say: sufficient,” Graves stated.
The summit’s mission, he emphasised, extends past recognition ceremonies and networking alternatives. Graves challenged attendees to view their affect by the lens of generational accountability.
“These extraordinary occasions require extraordinary girls—and extraordinary motion,” he stated. “What we do right here is about greater than being current. It’s about doubling down on the aim and mission of the Ladies of Energy Summit.”
Graves closed by asking attendees to think about how historical past will decide at this time’s second.
“Someday your grandchildren will ask what you have been doing throughout this time of backlash in opposition to range and equal alternative in America,” he stated. “Will you don’t have anything to supply—or will you could have used your voice, exercised your affect and brought a stand?”
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