Michelle Obama to Deliver Remarks at ‘BLACK GIRLS ROCK!’ on BET

First Lady Michelle Obama is scheduled to appear at her first BLACK GIRLS ROCK! Show at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center next month.

The televised awards special is celebrating its fifth anniversary in honoring the triumphs of prominent and inspirational African-American women who are trailblazers in the areas of art, philanthropy, sports, and community service.

According to Ebony, as part of Michelle’s “Reach Higher” initiative, she is scheduled to deliver remarks about the value of education at the show.

The Reach Higher initiative is the first lady’s effort to inspire American children to take charge of their future by completing their education past high school, according to the White House.

In collaboration with BET Network, BLACK GIRLS ROCK! will honor Cicely Tyson, director Ava DuVernay, Dr. Helene D. Gayle, Erykah Badu, Nadia Lopez, and Jada Pinkett for a variety of awards.

BET reports “BLACK GIRLS ROCK!” is a 501(c)3 non-profit youth empowerment and mentoring organization established to promote the arts for young women of color, as well as to encourage dialog and analysis of the ways women of color are portrayed in the media.

BLACK GIRLS ROCK! CEO and founder Beverly Bond spoke of her excitement to have the first lady on board: “I’m thrilled that Mrs. Michelle Obama will be able to join us in celebrating this year’s honorees and our M.A.D. GIRL celebrants – three audacious teenagers who are using their talent and ingenuity to become pioneers in education.

“I am so excited to welcome First Lady Michelle Obama, whose Reach Higher initiative encourages young people to pursue and complete their education past high school, to join us here for the first time!” she told Ebony.

Bond’s group has been dedicated to the healthy development of young women and girls since 2006 and seeks to build the self-esteem and self-worth of young women of color by changing their outlook on life, broadening their horizons, and helping them to empower themselves, per BET.

The BLACK GIRLS ROCK! show will air on BET Easter Sunday, April 5, at 7 pmET.