Scheduled to take place during Oscar weekend (on February 24th) a special spotlight event in Hollywood called Eye on Black, which will see a group of black directors feted, including Ava DuVernay, Bill Duke, Haile gerima, Chris Robinson, and Debbie Allen.

At the same event last year, Robert Townsend, Keenen Ivory Wayans and Tim Story were the honorees, while Melvin Van Peebles received a lifetime achievement award.

The fact that it occurs during the weekend that the Academy Awards celebration takes place probably isn't a coincidence 🙂

Reminds me of the now-defunct Black Oscars… rememeber it? I've written about it at least once on S&A.

From around 1982 until 2007, African-American actors, directors, producers and executives held a secret ceremony on the night before Oscar night, to celebrate black performers, calling the event the Black Oscars. Every talent, from the likes of Samuel L. Jackson to Will Smith participated in this event, which was considered a moment for black Hollywood to honor its own. However, in 2007, the "Friends of the Black Oscars," the secretive group that sponsored the event, decided that the Black Oscars had finally become obsolete, thanks in large part to the then recent increases in the presence of black talents in the race for Oscar – Halle Berry, Denzel Washington, Forest Whitaker, Eddie Murphy, Jennifer Hudson, Will Smith and Djimon Hounsou, notably.

I suppose we could consider Eye On Black its a replacement… somewhat.

Cuba Gooding, Jr., Tim Allen, Luke Wilson, Nia Long, Evan Ross, Macy Gray, CCH Pounder, and Khalil Kain have all been confirmed to present awards during the upcoming Eye on Black salute which will also see Martin Lawrence honored.

The 2012 Eye on Black salute, presented by CENTRIC Network, is set for Friday, February 24, at the Park Plaza Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.