The Black Theatre Coalition (BTC) has announced it will host its inaugural Building the Change gala February 12, 2024 at New York City's Rainbow Room. The evening will honor actor and television personality La La Anthony and the National Black Theatre.
Festivities will begin with a cocktail hour at 6:00 PM, followed by a 7:00 PM dinner and tribute. The evening will include performances by Grammy winner BeBe Winans, Tony and Grammy winner Jennifer Holliday, and Tony winner Alex Newell.
BTC will present a series of awards at the gala. The recipient of the first Poitier-Belafonte Award for Cultural Activism, in honor of Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte, will be announced at a later date. The Chadwick Boseman Changemaker Award will be presented to the National Black Theatre, with the blessing of the late Black Panther actor and activist's family. Finally, the Lynn Nottage Bold Beacon Award will be presented to La La Anthony.
“The Board of Black Theatre Coalition is beyond thrilled as we approach our inaugural gala and the opportunity to acknowledge the work of La La Anthony and National Black Theatre," the BTC Board said in a joint statement. "It is truly humbling for us to have the blessing of Ms. Lynn Nottage, the Poitier, Belafonte, and Boseman families to honor individuals and organizations who are being the change in our world with their courage, vision and activism. Our mission remains to remove the illusion of inclusion in the American Theatre and our vision for 2024 is to continue on that path, as we reach for exponential growth in the number of fellows and apprentices in the theatrical ecosystem and expand our organization nationwide."
The Black Theatre Coalition was founded by T. Oliver Reid, Warren Adams, and Reginald "Reggie" Van Lee in 2019. The coalition works to "remove the 'illusion of inclusion' in the American Theatre by building a sustainable ethical roadmap that will increase employment opportunities for Black theatre professionals."
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