Ahead of Sunday night's Oscars, stars celebrated at the 2019 Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards. From host Kelly Rowland to Octavia Spencer to Angela Bassett, stars came together at the luncheon to honour Regina Hall, Amandla Stenberg, Jenifer Lewis, and KiKi Layne for their contributions and achievements in the entertainment industry.
Regina — who recently made history as the first black woman to win best actress at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards for her role in Support the Girls — gave a refreshingly honest speech, praising black women in Hollywood. "I never had a quantum leap that was overnight but there's so much you learn in the journey. So I'm grateful for that," she said. "As I celebrate this, I want to celebrate every woman in this room . . . it's about what we show each other. It's about the love we give to each other. It's about the empowerment that we feel as people." The affair also reunited Tina Lawson and Sanaa Lathan — perhaps all is forgiven after that whole alleged biting incident? Ahead, see even more fun moments from the night!