(PHOTOS) Life and Career of BET’s Debra Lee Showcased on PBS ‘An Evening With’ Series

The life and career of Debra L. Lee, BET Networks Chairman and CEO Emeritus, was showcased at a television special and fundraiser held in her honor recently in LA. 

Presented by The HistoryMakers, the nation’s largest African–American video oral history archive, “An Evening with Debra Lee” was taped in front a live audience at the Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center. 

ABC News correspondent Deborah Roberts hosted event, which featured live performances from Eric Benét and Chaka Khan, as well as Earvin “Magic” and Cookie Johnson, Quincy Jones, Sean Combs, Valerie Jarrett, Eric H. Holder, Jr. and BET Networks President Scott M. Mills.  

Among the guests on hand for special included Debbie Allen, LeVar Burton, Eric Holder Jr., Maxine Waters and Connie Orlando, EVP & Head of Programming at BET.  

“An Evening With…” is an annual series and fundraiser which airs on PBS. 

Lee joined BET in 1986 and held several leadership roles, including CEO and General Counsel. She retired in 2018 after a tenure where she oversaw the launched original programming at BET and its expansion beyond music videos. 

See photos from the “An Evening With Debra Lee” taping below.