2012 marked the 14th Annual awards lun­cheon, in honor of the first African Amer­i­can female self-made mil­lion­aire and busi­ness leader Madam C.J. Walker, cel­e­brating the rich tra­di­tion of hard work and entre­pre­neur­ial spirit that is deeply rooted in the African-American cul­ture. With over 1000 people in attendance, the event is hosted annu­ally by NCBW/OBAC and is the largest gath­er­ing of its type in California.

This year’s guest speaker was the Assistant Secretary of Civil Rights, U.S Department of Education – Russlyn Ali who inspired the attendees with a call to action to ensure that today’s youth are given the critical opportunities that is needed to allow the United States to be able to compete in today’s global economy.

Click this link to watch the event online

Below are highlights from the event, for full event photos, visit our Flickr page: