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01/03/2025
Bruce W. Smith’s Bébé’s Kids wasn’t just a movie—it was a cultural moment that broke new ground in the world of animation. When Bébé’s Kids hit theaters in 1992, it marked the first time an animated feature film was directed by an African American. That man was Bruce W. Smith, a visionary who brought the hilarious, unapologetically Black comedy of Robin Harris to life on screen.At its core, Bébé’s Kids is a funny, relatable, and wild adventure that spoke directly to Black audiences. It gave us characters who felt real—people we knew from our own lives—and blended that with humor and heart. But what made this film truly special wasn’t just the jokes or the unforgettable lines. It was the fact that Bruce W. Smith, a Black man in an industry that had often shut out diverse voices, was behind it all.
For Bruce, Bébé’s Kids was more than just a film—it was about representation. It was about telling our stories through animation, a medium where Black voices had rarely been heard, let alone celebrated. With this film, Bruce didn’t just entertain; he showed Hollywood that Black creators belonged in every space, including animation.
After Bébé’s Kids, Bruce W. Smith went on to create The Proud Family and work on iconic films like The Princess and the Frog. But it all started with Bébé’s Kids, a movie that dared to be different, dared to be bold, and dared to be Black in a way animation had never seen before.
So as we celebrate Bébé’s Kids today, let’s also give credit to the man behind it—Bruce W. Smith—a trailblazer who changed the game and opened doors for future generations of Black animators and storytellers.
