Black Brilliance Awards were given to four people in three categories during a “Black in B.C.” celebration Feb. 1 at Surrey Arts Centre.
Winners of the inaugural awards were announced at the event, organized to kick off Black History Month in Metro Vancouver.
Dacious Richardson won the Rising Star award, Amos Kambere was named Luminary, and both Nataizya Mukwavi and Adebola Ige took home Trailblazer trophies.
For a second year, the “Black in B.C.” event was brought to the stage by DIVERSEcity Community Resources Society, which helps newcomers settle here. Admission was free.
Emceed by Michael Newman, the afternoon/evening celebration included a panel of local leaders moderated by DIVERSEcity COO Garrison Duke, fashions, music by Rafikis band, African food and Black Brilliance Awards.
The night’s Rising Star, Richardson works as a safe school liaison for the Surrey Schools District where he provides mentorships and safety for high school students and mentors the Black Student Union at Frank Hurt Secondary. He served as a member and mentor for the Surrey Newcomer Youth Council and is a former participant/mentor for Yo Bro Youth Initiative on prevention of gang violence.
“I came from Liberia and lived through civil war,” Richardson said. “It was difficult going to school, finding food to eat, but I was given the opportunity to come to this country, go to school, seek education. Now I’m giving back to my community.”
Trailblazker Nataizya Mukwavi is the founder and director of Black Women Connect Vancouver, a non-profit and collective of Black women in the Lower Mainland who come together “to inspire, empower, leverage their strengths and embrace their diverse experiences.”
Fellow Trailblazer awardee Adebola Ige is president of Yoruba Social and Cultural Association of British Columbia, a non-profit community group focused on vocational skills and entrepreneurship economic development. He’s also a leader of 3HFoundation, a non-profit focused on youth empowerment.
“What we do for the community is not for us, but for you,” Adebola told the crowd. “Because in my village, we say it takes a community to raise a community. So, without you, we would not be here.”
Luminary award winner Amos Kambere co-founded Umoja Operation Compassion Society with his wife in 2002, after arriving in Canada as a refugee from Uganda. Over the 20-plus years since then, “the impact he and Umoja have had on the community of Surrey is undeniable,” a biography says.
“It’s the resilience of my wife and I that brought us to excellence,” Kambere said. “Coming to Canada with four children was hard.” At community gatherings he said he “voiced the message every single day, ‘Who is taking care of the families coming from Africa?’”
He did that for five years before receiving funding and support to launch and grow Umoja.
“Now, 20 years later, I received this award,” Kambere added. “We have been doing work with excellence, accountability and resilience to ensure people coming from all over the world are supported.”