He called 12-year-old Isaiah Golden from the audience and presented the award to him.
"I want you to have this from me and put this on your wall," Thomas told Golden.
The boy is in 7th grade and wants to be a lawyer.
The plaque is the education for a Better America Community Engagement Award.
It was given to Thomas for his work in violence prevention.
In turning the award over Thomas said the most important thing for the African American community is education.
