BTC “BUILDING THE CHANGE” GALA ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL SPECIAL GUESTS
Press Contacts:
Rick Miramontez / Kendall Edwards / Bailey Everett
rick@omdkc.com / kendall@omdkc.com / bailey@omdkc.com
212 695 7400
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, PLEASE
CHILDREN OF
SIDNEY POITIER
AND
HARRY BELAFONTE
TO ATTEND
2ND ANNUAL BTC
“BUILDING THE CHANGE” GALA
IN NEW YORK CITY
AWARDS TO BE PRESENTED
THE POITIER-BELAFONTE AWARD FOR CULTURAL ACTIVISM,
THE CHADWICK BOSEMAN CHANGE MAKER AWARD,
THE LYNN NOTTAGE BOLD BEACON AWARD
AND
THE INAUGURAL BTC VISIONARY ALLY AWARD
ON MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2025
AT THE RAINBOW ROOM
TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW!
New York, NY (February 25, 2025) – Co-founders T. Oliver Reid, Warren Adams, and Reginald “Reggie” Van Lee, along with Board Members Aaliytha Stevens and Naila McKenzie, announced today that Anika Poitier, daughter of Sidney Poitier, and David Belafonte, son of Harry Belafonte, will attend the 2nd Annual BTC “Building the Change” Gala as special guests. As previously announced, BTC will honor Phylicia Rashad (Award winning Actor, Director, Activist, Humanitarian), Luis A. Miranda, Jr. (Activist, Philanthropist, Producer), John Gore Organization (leading presenter, distributor, and marketer of Broadway theatre worldwide), and Girl Be Heard (non-profit organization).
The gala will take place on Monday, March 3, 2025 in New York City at the Rainbow Room (30 Rockefeller Plaza, 65th Floor).
For photos of the honorees, click here.
This event is celebrating entertainment professionals working in theater, film, television, cultural institutions, and music which will be held at the Rainbow Room at 6:00pm ET cocktails, followed by a 7:00pm ET dinner and tribute.
Tickets to the “Building the Change” Gala begin at $1,000. Visit the event page and purchase tickets at https://givebutter.com/buildingthechange2025.
The evening will include special performances by Tony Award winner Anika Noni Rose and cast members from the Original Broadway Cast of Motown the Musical including Valisia LeKae, Charl Brown, Bryan Terrell Clark, Ryan Shaw, and Morgan James.
BTC is deeply honored, with permission of the Poitier and Belafonte families, to present the Poitier-Belafonte Award for Cultural Activism at this year’s gala to Luis A. Miranda, Jr. This award was created in recognition of these two groundbreaking black artists and activists in the entertainment industry.
With the blessing of the Boseman family, the Chadwick Boseman Change Maker Award will be presented to Girl Be Heard. Boseman was an actor, playwright, and activist who promoted the Black Lives Matter Movement. He significantly impacted Black cinema and culture by writing plays and directing as well as instructing drama. He played the Black superhero King T’Challa in Black Panther and starred as other changemakers and Black icons such as Jackie Robinson in 42, James Brown in Get On Up, and Thurgood Marshall in Marshall.
The Lynn Nottage Bold Beacon Award will be presented to Phylicia Rashad. Phylicia Rashad is a trailblazing actress, director, and educator whose impact spans television, theater, and film. A Theater Hall of Fame inductee, Rashad’s legacy is defined by artistic excellence, education, and cultural preservation.
BTC will present the inaugural BTC Visionary Ally Award to the John Gore Organization. The John Gore Organization is committed to supporting theater access and education programs that introduce Broadway to the next generation of audiences and theater professionals.
To purchase tables or sponsor the event, please contact Dwight Johnson at djohnson@dwightjohnsondesign.com or visit the event page to purchase tickets at: https://givebutter.com/ri2kaW.
ABOUT BTC
BTC was founded by T. Oliver Reid and Warren Adams during the Summer of 2019. They identified the disparity between the growing inclusivity onstage, versus the almost non-existence of Black professionals off stage. They invited their colleague, Reggie Van Lee, to join them as Co-Founder in their march towards dismantling the systemically racist and biased ideology in the theatrical job space. BTC officially filed as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) in June of 2020.
BTC’s mission is to remove the “Illusion of Inclusion” in the American Theatre by removing barriers to access for those who have been historically marginalized and building a sustainable, ethical roadmap that will increase opportunities for the next generation of emerging talent.
For more information about BTC, visit their website https://buildingthechange.org/.
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