Ciara celebrated winning her Rock Star Award at the Black Girls Rock! event on Sunday night (September 8, 2019) with a powerful speech about learning from your failures.
The 33-year-old collected the prize from model Winnie Harlow in Newark, New Jersey and admitted she was overcome with emotion as she began her address to the audience.
“It means so much to me for so many reasons,” she smiled. “As a little girl I always dreamed of moments like this, and I want to focus on all the little girls in the audience watching because you are the future and I see my younger self in a lot of you.”
The mother-of-two also revealed what she would write if she could pen a letter to her younger self.
“In life you are going to face many challenges, many moments of adversity,” she said. “There are going to be a lot of successes and failures too – those moments are going to create your character, build your integrity, and they will become your beauty marks.
“On your journey in life you may hear a lot more no’s than yes’s, but you’ll let those moments motivate you, and those that said no will eventually wish they would have said yes.”
Concluding her speech, Ciara thanked her fans and urged “every girl listening out there” to acknowledge that “no-one, absolutely no-one, can close a door that God has opened for you.”
Other winners included Regina King, who took home the Star Power Award, and Grammy Award-winning musician H.E.R., who picked up the Young Gifted and Black Award.
Angela Bassett was honored with the Icon Award, and told the audience as she accepted the gong: “There might be times when you face obstacles, but that’s when you dig deep for courage and fortitude, and to never forget that despite life’s obstacles, you are destined for greatness.”
