The Big Night Gala Celebrates Community Leaders in Dallas

Big news, Dallas: This Saturday, March 4, Big Thought will host its annual Big Night gala at The Factory in Deep Ellum.

During Big Night, several North Texas community leaders will be honored for their commitment to service, leadership and their impact on the local community. There will also be a paddle-raise auction benefiting Big Thought, a Dallas-based nonprofit committed to providing art and cultural opportunities to marginalized youth and communities.

Media personality and actress Bevy Smith will emcee the event. Known for her stints on shows such as Bravo’s Fashion Queens and Amazon Prime’s Harlem, Smith wears many hats in the industry. But her favorite role is that of a mentor.

“To be a mentor, for me, is really the ultimate give back,” says Smith. “I was very fortunate from the time I was around 18 years old to have a really amazing group of mentors. And those mentors I had when I was very young. The lessons that they taught me and the opportunities that were afforded me to came to me because I was their mentee. I’m still learning and I’m still growing because of those lessons and those opportunities.”

Smith herself has been mentoring young people for nearly two decades. Growing up in Harlem and having access to art and cultural opportunities were essential to her formative years.

Some of Smith’s fondest memories include visiting New York’s Museum Mile.

“It’s home to the Guggenheim, it’s home to the Met, It’s home to some of the greatest museums in the world,” Smith says. “So I grew up going to museums and knowing about art. But many of my peers didn’t have those same opportunities. The arts are really a great liberating process for children. Art can teach them to use their imaginations, it can help them to dare to dream, and it takes them and transports them to someplace that they’ve never been before, but maybe could imagine now.”

Also attending Big Night will be Dallas Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, and his wife, Sasha, both of whom will be serving as event chairs.

DeMarcus Larence first got involved with Big Thought last year, after meeting one of the leaders at a football game. He was then presented the opportunity to read to some of the kids who have gone through the organization.

“Being able to actually gather around the kids, it opened up my heart to wanting to do more in the community,” Lawrence says. “And seeing Big Thought’s track history and the sensational work they’ve been doing over the last 30 years, it was a no-brainer for me.”

The past year has been a big one for the athlete. Back in November, he launched DrinkSip, a non-alcoholic beer. As an athlete and entrepreneur, Lawrence hopes he can serve as an inspiration to children who’ve grown up in rough neighborhoods to tap into their creativity.

“Being able to actually gather around the kids, it opened up my heart to wanting to do more in the community. And seeing Big Thought’s track history and the sensational work they’ve been doing over the last 30 years, it was a no-brainer for me.” – DeMarcus Lawrence

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“That’s another form of art, being able to understand the talents that God blessed you with, and how to use them in today’s life,” he says. “There are opportunities out here for you to live out your dreams, and we have to make sure we provide a safe space for the kids. As adults and leaders in our communities, we have to make sure we provide these safe spaces.”

Throughout Big Night, several local creative contributors will be honored with awards. Oak Cliff’s Aria Jones will receive the Mitch Jericho Visionary Voice Award for her work as Big Thought’s site guide for the Community Action Team. The award honors a young person who has created their own pathway to success and made a positive impact within the community.

The Gigi Antoni Courageous Creator Award, which recognizes an individual who has taken unique approaches to evoke social changes within the community, will be presented to Roger Taylor, the pre-adjudication manager for the Dallas County Juvenile Center.

Dr. Michael Hinojosa, former superintendent for DISD, will be honored with the Edith O’Donnell Legacy Leadership Award for his work in youth leadership.

While Smith looks forward to emceeing the event, and of course, checking out the museums and getting some shopping done at Neiman Marcus while she’s in Dallas, she’s mostly is hoping to see a long-term impact as a result of the work with Big Night and Big Thought.

“We’re in a really troubling time right now with young people,” Smith says. “Many of them don’t feel like they have a future ahead of them. And what I’ve found is that when you give children the opportunity to just be, to explore, to learn something new that’s not attached to a test — when they just have the opportunity to be truly free and creative, then they begin to see that there’s a whole world out there that they can tap into, that they have access to, and it gives them hope.”