Debbie Allen Received a 2021 Kennedy Center Honors Award

Debbie Allen Receives 2021 Kennedy Center Honors Award

Photo Courtesy of The Grio

On Friday, Debbie Allen and four other recipients were honored at the 2021 Kennedy Center Honors.

At the ceremony, Allen took a moment to speak about her legacy and how the television world has changed throughout her career.

The other recipients, included Dick Van Dyke, Garth Brooks, Joan Baez and Midori, were given medallions during the ceremony, which celebrated each honoree for their lifetime contributions to American culture.

“My sister Phylicia told me I couldn’t cry… Sorry, Lish! My little heart is so filled with joy and humbled and to be inducted into this tribe. As a kid, I used to look up at the sky from the front yard and wonder, ‘Where did this universe come from? Where’s it going? And where do I belong?’ Well, I knew I belonged right here with you, Garth, and with you, Midori, and with you, Joan, and you, Dick Van Dyke.”

She also took a moment to talk about actress Diahann Carroll’s performance in Julia, noting that she was one of the only forms of representation a young Allen got to see on-screen as a child.

“That has changed,” she continued, “because now we have a wide, wide pallet upon which so many different showrunners and actors are painting their pallets on television. It wasn’t quite so many many years ago, and I think it’s good!”

The revolutionary even took to social media and shared photos with her family, including her sister Phylicia Rashād and her husband Norm Nixon, along with a caption to highlight the night.

Allen captioned her post on Instagram, “The Last Concert for the @KennedyCenter Honors was AMAZING! ❤️ @PhyliciaRashad hosted, and my daughter, @VivieNixie, danced ❤️.”

Allen was recognized by the Kennedy Center Honors this year after a decades-long career expanding over multiple mediums.

She began her career on the Broadway stage, eventually earning a Tony nomination and fans’ scores starring Anita in Westside Story before landing her signature role as Lydia Grant on the hit TV series Fame.

Allen also served behind the scenes as a key director and producer of A Different World and has been an executive producer and director for episodes of the shows Grey’s Anatomy and Insecure, Dolly Parton’s Christmas in the Square and others.