We are shocked and saddened by the news of Whitney Houston’s passing. She was one of our treasures.
Whitney Houston was the voice of her generation. Possessed with an instrument that she honed and polished, she lifted us up, touched us in intimate ways and reached across barriers of race, class and cultures.
As a black woman and a beauty in entertainment, she was a groundbreaker. Her acting roles in The Bodyguard and Waiting to Exhale, as well as her work as an executive producer on the upcoming Sparkle, made us proud and put Black women where we have rarely been. We watched her soar, and were inspired by her talent and her courage.
We watched and felt with her as she became a mother and a wife and strove to balance it all. We felt her highs and her lows. With her exquisite songs, she has left a gift for us all for which we can never fully pay. Our thoughts and love are with her family.
