Don Lemon returns to the limelight with a rousing speech at the Native Son Awards

Don Lemon stepped back into the limelight last Friday night when he hosted Emil Wilbekin’s 7th annual Native Son Awards at Barry Diller’s IAC building in New York.

Native Son is a movement that celebrates Black queer men. It highlights their voices in the arts, business, media, fashion, politics and healthcare.

Lemon himself, as a high-profile journalist, was among the first people to be honored by the organization at their first awards ceremony back in 2016. Native Son founder Emil Wilbekin previously told Page Six that inviting Lemon to host this year’s event “feels like a full circle moment for Native Son.”

Lemon has made headlines this year for reasons he’d no doubt prefer to put behind him. He faced a barrage of criticism for saying during one CNN segment that Nikki Haley, aged 51, was past her “prime”. In April, the media giant ousted him. He’s kept a low profile since that time.

Lemon used his speech at the Native Son Awards to warn the audience of the wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation sweeping the US.

“These bills range from banning gender-affirming care for transgender youth to banning drag performances,” Lemon said.

“There’s also been an avalanche of book bans attempting to censor stories that center us. And let’s be real: these book bans are rooted in anti-blackness, transphobia, and queerphobia.”

Lemon called on corporations to stand up and show courage in the face of such prejudice.

“Too many corporations have lacked the courage to stand up against extremist demands to discriminate against us.

“Some corporations have gone as far as removing Pride Gear and decorations from their stores.

“And to think they pair those actions with some type of empty statement claiming they still respect our communities.”

He continued, “Corporations today should be inspired to act on the side of justice and equity, and never concede to the demands of a bigoted minority because actions speak louder than words.

“And as the great James Baldwin, one of my personal heroes, would say, ‘I can’t believe what you say because I see what you do.’”

Native Son Honorees

Those honored on the night included:

• Jordan E Cooper, a 2023 Tony Award nominee for his play Ain’t No Mo and the creator of the Emmy-nominated series, The Ms. Pat Show.
• James Cole Jr. – Chairman and CEO of the Jasco Group, AIG Board member and Obama administration appointee
• Nicco Annan – An actor, dancer, choreographer and cast member of TV show P-Valley.
• Patrik-Ian Polk – Creator of the show, Noah’s Arc.

Native Son also honored three power couples making waves in the worlds of business and entertainment.

These included: celebrity stylist Jason Bolden and his husband interior designer Adair Curtis – leaders of their successful interior design and product design business, JSN Studio, as well as stars of the hit Netflix series, Styling Hollywood.

• Writer and director Elegance Bratton and his life partner producer and costume designer Chester Algernal. The men co-run the production company Freedom Principle.

• Bishop Oliver Clyde Allen, III, and his husband Rashad Burgess, VP of Advancing Health and Black Equity at Gilead. The men are founders of the Vision Church & Cathedral of Atlanta.

Besides Lemon, other presenters on the night included trans actress and director, Janet Mock.

“It is amazing for me to think about how much this event has grown since its inception seven years ago,” Native Son founder Wilbekin said in a statement afterward. “With everything currently going on across the country to further suppress the voices of marginalized communities, it was truly inspiring to sit in a room full of Black gay and queer people and our allies and see all of that representation. All of that joy. And most importantly all of the love.

“Every year that we do these Awards and honor all of these incredible people, it is a reaffirmation for me of the important work that we are doing with this organization and to see how we are galvanizing others to join us.”

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