The NAACP Image Awards Luncheon is part of a tradition that started 54 years ago when black artists like Lena Horne, Sidney Poitier and many others gathered to counter the harmful tropes that Hollywood used when representing people of color. This year the event was held Saturday, February 4th.

Karen Boykin-Towns, Chair Woman of the Image Awards Committee, spoke from the podium at the Fairmont Hotel and reminded those present that the event’s purpose is “to acknowledge achievements” of Black creatives “in a system that was not, and is still not, designed (for people of color) to win.”

Touting the successes of TV shows like Atlanta and films like Black Panther and Wakanda Forever, the Vice-Chair of the NAACP Board of Directors stated:  “Black people are more dynamic, more fruitful, and more impactful than ever with billions of dollars in box office sales, multiplatinum record sales and streaming services that are exploding in a large part due to the people in this room influencing people who don’t look like us, with their black disposition, combatting what was shown to the world so long ago. We set the culture.”

Guests were made up of nominees that reflected the diversity and talents of black artists. Some actors in attendance were William Stanford Davis (of the Golden Globe-winning Abbott Elementary), Keith David (Greenleaf and 21 Bridges), and rising star Jalyn Hall of the film Till. The gathering was packed with the creative energy brought in by hair and makeup artists, writers, directors, musicians, social media stars and producers.

Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP, called out the need for diversity within the media. “We find that media, more than ever, in all its forms, is a mitigating factor on the next generation.” He noted the role of social media in particular, “Who would have thought that someone on Instagram would have a following greater than ABC, NBC, and CBS combined? We are embarking on something new and dynamic. It’s important to show up in all of our excellence.”

“The black diaspora has never been a monolith,” he said. “We are a diverse, dynamic community. We must push forward with the truth that we have not only contributed to this country but to the globe.”

Addressing the audience, he stated: “You have navigated this climate of injustice and cancel culture with Black excellence. It is in the roles that you choose, the scripts that you write, the directions that you give when you walk onto the set, when you sign the contract. You have the power to make a significant change in our community. You understand we have the responsibility to be authentic storytellers to uphold not only the culture but to give a pathway to your people towards the future.”

Ruth Carter, nominated for the Vanguard Award for Costume Design in 2022, is nominated this year, for an Image Award in the Best Costume category for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.  Ms Carter is the only Black woman ever to win an Oscar in that category, and has the potential to do a repeat at this year’s Academy Awards, potentially becoming the only Black woman to take home two Oscars in the Best Costume Design category. The barrier breaker talked about creating the costumes for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and how she was deeply affected by the death of actor Chadwick Boseman.

Gersha Phillips, who is nominated for costume design for The Woman King and Star Trek: Discovery, mentioned the atmosphere swirling around a film shoot in South Africa and how that element shaped her designs.

Jalyn Hall, who portrays Emmett Till in the film Till, told the audience how his mother had shared with him the story of the fourteen-year-old who was lynched in 1955. The talk, presented as a cautionary tale, took place before Hall was cast in the film.

The 54th NAACP Image Awards take place on February 25^th – at 8 pm ET on BET. It will be the first in-person ceremony since February 2020.