‘Representation Matters’: White House hosts Celebration of Black Excellence Brunch on South Lawn

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The St. Augustine Gospel Choir was dressed in black robes with green and red stripes down the right side. Established in 1977, the world-renowned choir didn’t have to make too long of a trip to the White House balcony overlooking the South Lawn. St. Augustine Catholic Church is located on V Street, NW, just a couple miles away from the White House. The first-ever Celebration of Black Excellence brought hundreds of Black leaders of many different industries to the White House on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta VoiceThe White House was the scene for a Celebration of Black Excellence Brunch, which took place on Friday, Sept. 13, and brought actors, actresses, authors, television personalities, journalists, writers, activists, and artists to the South Lawn. Friday was the first time a celebration of this order exclusively to celebrate the greatness of Black Americans took place on White House grounds. This wasn’t Black History Month or Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, or even Juneteenth, it is a moment of history in the making, according to United States President Joseph R. Biden.“The Black community has always had my back and I have always had theirs,” said...