The International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD) received a National Medal of Arts from President Biden on March 21, 2023. IABD was co-founded by PHILADANCO! Founder Joan Myers Brown and was developed out of the 1988 International Conference of Black Dance Companies which was launched by Ms. Brown and PHILADANCO!

National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD, said, “The National Medal of Arts recipients have helped to define and enrich our nation’s cultural legacy through their life long passionate commitment. We are a better nation because of their contributions. Their work helps us see the world in different ways. It inspires us to reach our full potential and recognize our common humanity. I join the President in congratulating and thanking them.”