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David Alan Grier, Janelle James, Essence Atkins and Kerry Washington Salute the Wayans Family: ‘The Legacy is Undeniable’

Kerry Washington, David Alan Grier, Essence Atkins and Janelle James reflect on the Wayans family's comedy legacy at the NAACP Image Awards.

The NAACP Hall of Fame Award is presented to “individuals or groups who have been pioneers in their respective fields and whose influence continues to shape their industry for generations.” And as one of the most influential families in comedy and entertainment — collectively behind such culture-defining hits as “In Living Color” (which also launched the careers of Jennifer Lopez and Rosie Perez), “My Wife and Kids,” “Hollywood Shuffle,” the “Scary Movie” franchise, “White Chicks” and the hit CBS sitcom “Poppa’s House” — they certainly fit the bill. On stage, Damon and Marlon Wayans also gave their eldest brother his due, delivering a touching and hilarious speech about how Keenen prospected for the family’s future by moving to Hollywood, then taught each one of his siblings how to succeed in the entertainment business. Keenen, who was six months away from getting an engineering degree, pivoted to pursue comedy, eventually packing up a U-Haul and moving cross-country with his best friend Richard Townsend to make it big in Hollywood.

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