Stories are not just words on a page. They are a blueprint for possibilities. That belief resonated with the attending audience at The Dogwood on Saturday evening as the National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI), which hosted its inaugural Book, Toy & Media (BTM) Awards, honoring the creators who are shaping how Black children see themselves and the worlds they imagine.
Held Oct. 25 as part of NBCDI’s 2025 National Conference, the event marked a milestone for the 50-year-old organization, whose mission is to build a just future where every Black child is celebrated, protected, and empowered. “The BTM Awards are more than a celebration; they are a declaration,” said Dr. Leah Austin, president and CEO of NBCDI. “If there is ever a time to have an organization focused on Black children and their families, it’s now. We do this work unapologetically.”
Austin said the decision to host the event in Atlanta was intentional. “Atlanta is the Black Mecca,” she said. “It’s the perfect place to launch these inaugural awards, a city that’s not only rich in history and advocacy but also the Black Hollywood of the South.”
Honoring a Legacy of Representation
This year’s honorees included U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, Dr. Lisa Williams, Jacqueline Woodson, Ralph Farquhar, Bruce W. Smith, and Makeda Mays Green, each recognized for advancing culturally affirming storytelling across generations and media.
Smith and his partner, Farquhar, creators of The Proud Family, were recognized for their impact and contributions to media and culture. and Smith reflected on receiving recognition from his community. “It means everything to receive this from my people,” he said. “In the animation community, there are the Annies and the Oscars, but they don’t often see us. The NAACP Awards and now this mean the most because they come from us. That’s why we make the work we do.”
Smith said The Proud Family’s legacy is rooted in heart and humanity, not algorithms or trends. Reflecting on the current state of the industry, he acknowledged that “animation is being dwindled” as studios turn to artificial intelligence and scale back creative divisions. Still, he said, the power of storytelling endures beyond technology. “Our stories are beyond technology; it’s not about technology when it comes to telling our stories,” Smith said. “While technology is involved in helping us tell them, at the end of the day, it’s about the heart of The Proud Family. It’s about who we are as a people, and that will never change.”
Makeda Mays Green, SVP, Digital and Cultural Consumer Insights, who was also honored during the evening, recalled watching Romper Room as a child and never hearing her name during the show’s iconic roll call. “I wanted to know that I was seen,” she said. “Now, to be in a space where I can foster intentional visibility means the world to me. This fight isn’t just for me, it’s for our children, for every child who needs to feel they matter.”
Storytelling as Resistance
Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, winner of the Infinite Possibilities Book Award for Your Name Is a Song, described the evening as “a celebration of Black children and the people who work hard to ensure those children are affirmed.”
Tonight is important because it’s a celebration of Black children and the people who work hard to ensure that those children are affirmed. That’s what is special to me, all these people coming together around celebrating the young Black child and their development.”
For Tyshia Ingram, creator of the ABC Affirmation Flash Cards – Black Boy Joy and winner of the First Light Toy Award, representation begins at playtime. “When I made these cards, I wanted little Black boys to see themselves reflected in every letter, every word,” she said. “I wanted them to know they are smart, kind, powerful, and loved. That’s what joy looks like, seeing yourself in the story.”
“Language Is Power”
Keynote speaker Jason Reynolds, the #1 New York Times bestselling author, delivered a reflection on growing up in the 1980s, a time shaped by the crack epidemic, hip-hop, and the absence of representation in literature.
“I grew up reading stories that didn’t see me,” Reynolds said. “My teachers told me to build a relationship with literature, but I couldn’t love something that didn’t love me back. Hip-hop gave me that relationship; it made my life neon.”
He recalled writing his first poem after his grandmother’s passing. “When my mother printed my words on her funeral program, I realized language was power,” he said. “And if you have language, you have power.”
A Future Where Every Black Child Is Seen
Supported by sponsors including Disney Branded Television, Bainum Family Foundation, Penguin Young Readers, and Random House Children’s Books, the BTM Awards honored creators across five categories, each redefining the standard for storytelling rooted in cultural affirmation.
Dr. Austin reflected on the purpose of the moment and the movement it represents. “Representation isn’t optional,” she said. “It’s essential. We’re saying to our children: the world is yours.”