ABOUT YG&E

The Young, Gifted & Empowered Awards (YG&E) was founded in 2015 by Shameka Reed, to counter the negative narratives often told about Black individuals in the media, particularly in Mississippi and the South. As an avid traveler, Shameka frequently encountered misconceptions and curious questions about what it’s like to be Black and live in Mississippi, to which she’d respond, “Let me tell you about my Mississippi.” She would share stories of Black people thriving in the state, and people were consistently amazed. However, there wasn’t a platform dedicated to celebrating these stories—so she created one. In 2015, the inaugural Young, Gifted & Empowered Awards was hosted, and since then, the impact has only grown.

 

To date, the YG&E Awards has honored nearly 60 incredible individuals, including celebrity photographer Derek Blanks, Sheena Allen (founder of Capway, a mobile banking solution for the underserved), NFL player and philanthropist DeMario Davis, Nashlie Cephus (whose startup was acquired by Amazon), and Tim Lampkin (CEO and Founder of Higher Purpose Co., a nonprofit driving community wealth building for Black residents of Mississippi).

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Our achievements over the years include:

• Honoring nearly 60 Black leaders and hundreds of emerging talents from Mississippi.

• Broadcasting to over 100,000 viewers on stations across Mississippi, including Mississippi Public Broadcasting (an NPR affiliate), WLOO My35, and the international platform Kweli TV.

• Partnering with the Jackson Public School District to host the YG&E Youth Summit.

• Curating the YG&E Art Exhibit, which attracted more than 1,000 visitors.

• Launched YG&E Media that includes the YG&E Magazine and YG&E TV, which has a Roku channel, iOS and Android app. 

 

All of this has been done to uplift positive storytelling about Black excellence in Mississippi. As we approach our 10th anniversary, we are eager to expand our efforts with the launch of the YG&E Youth Media Project—a transformative initiative designed to equip young people with essential media production skills while fostering their creativity, critical thinking, and confidence.