2025 NAACP Image Awards Post Show Honors Altadena Natives Who Were Recovering From The Eaton Canyon Fires!!

 

By Evan L. Jackson 

The evening was special at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium because the 2025 NAACP Image Awards was underway! But for me personally it was different this year. As a native of Pasadena, as in the Pasadena, California home of the Rose Bowl and Rose Parade there was a certain pride I felt this year. It was announced for the post show for the ceremony, right next to it in the Pasadena Ballroom, they were set to honor the Altadena natives who lost much in the Eaton Canyon fires. This recognition and more then that raising of funds for those in need warmed my heart. See I only live six blocks from where they fires happened and I too had to evacuate. So this brought it full circle to see the community of the NAACP Image Awards give back.

Entering the post show, I didn’t know what to expect. How will they balance the glee and glitz of the award show & calling back to such horrific moments of the Eaton Canyon fires. As the night unfolded they did it swimmingly! Held in the sprawling Pasadena Ballroom, the Grammy winning musician Adam Blackstone kicked things off with his magnetic band. As the audience was settling into their seats an animate Tichina Arnold with her daughter, also an actress, enlivened everyone! Letting them know this was a celebration of not only the winners from earlier tonight but also of the rich Black culture of Altadena. That’s what was the best part. I myself had still been recovering from the fires emotionally, my house was ok, but still it was getting me down. So that was a real morale booster.

Each hour of the post show celebration they had announced how much money was raised. I was excited to know the post show was not just an afterparty but a great fundraiser to get the communities of Altadena and Pasadena back on their feet and up and running. I just wanted to thank the great people of the NAACP Image Awards on this idea and putting it together. Here is to many more impactful events like this.