'Love on Louisiana: An Essence Hometown Heroes Tribute' Celebrates The Resilience Of Baton Rouge

In August 2016, one of the worst U.S. natural disasters hit the storied city of Baton Rouge, Louisiana and surrounding areas – historic flooding that left more than 60,000 homes destroyed and $8.7 billion in damages. The flooding was also responsible for over a dozen deaths in the Baton Rouge area. But while more than $55 million in federal aid was approved for reconstruction, families and businesses in the area are still struggling to recover from the rising waters. On November 20, The Knowles family, along with Kelly Rowland and BeyGOOD, are looking to change that. In a joint effort with ESSENCE, Tina Knowles-Lawson, Solange Knowles and Kelly Rowland – with support from Beyoncé and BeyGOOD, the singer’s charitable organization founded in 2013 – will host Love On Louisiana: An Essence Hometown Heroes Tribute, a fundraising awards dinner to celebrate the resilience of Baton Rouge and to raise money for recovery efforts. “We have continued to witness firsthand the strength of our long-term partners in Louisiana in the aftermath of natural disasters, and it is with great pride that we are partnering with Ms. Tina, Beyoncé, Solange, Kelly and BeyGOOD to harness the resources of our collective networks and join the community in rebuilding,” said Essence President Michelle Ebanks. “Louisiana is a special place in my family’s history and we are committed as a family to never forget the city and the people of Baton Rouge,” said Tina Knowles-Lawson. “It breaks my heart to see the unimaginable disaster and destruction caused by the flooding and we will stand and support every effort in place to help the people most affected.” The dinner and awards ceremony will be hosted at the Raising Cane’s River Center and will honor teachers and students who play an integral role in rebuilding the Baton Rouge community. Partners for the event include Habitat for Humanity of Greater Baton Rouge and Brand Jordan. To join the conversation, use the hashtag #LoveOnLouisiana and donate here.