Haiti’s first son, humanitarian and entertainer, Wyclef Jean has been chosen to receive the Vanguard Award at the 41st Annual NAACP Image Awards. The show will air live on Friday, February 26 from The Shrine Auditorium in LA from 8-10 p.m. ET on Fox network. Wyclef quickly became the face of Haitian relief efforts following the tragic earthquake on January 12th. According to,
NAACP president Benjamin Todd Jealous, Wyclef was chosen because “his passion for social justice and helping those in need should be applauded”. I concur!
Wyclef has worked tirelessly to bring awareness to issues confronting his homeland of Haiti. Wyclef’s work in Haiti began long before the earthquake. In furtherance of this agenda, five years ago, Wyclef founded his non-profit organization Yele Haiti. Following the earthquake, Wyclef was one of the first responders on the ground. Since then he has raised millions and millions for Haiti relief efforts. Hope for Haiti Now” telethon alone raised more than $66 million.
The Vanguard Award recognizes those who have strived to bring awareness to humanitarian, social and racial issues. Past recipients of the award include: Tyler Perry, Russell Simmons, Aretha Franklin and Steven Spielberg.
