Calgary Black Achievement Awards 2021
Presented by
Watch the broadcast here
Founding partners
Calgary Black Chambers invites you to celebrate Black excellence with us! Please take the opportunity to recognize the accomplishments of those among us who are making a difference in the community and doing great work in their respective fields.
On February 6, 2021, the Calgary Black Achievement Awards was held online via Youtube Live. Like most events in this era, going virtual is the reality for safety. As resilient people, we are taking advantage of the increased accessibility afforded us by an online platform to accommodate all who wish to celebrate, with no capacity constraints.
Award Winners
Nominees were Calgary-based and have exhibited an impressive history of high-achievement, success, and excellence within the past year in one of the following categories:
Arts, Media and Entertainment
An individual who uses expression or application of human creative skill and imagination to enrich our community
Winner: Cheryl Foggo
Business and Entrepreneurship
An individual in a leadership position in business or who created a successful new business
Winner: Selam Gutema and Anwar Sultan - Yegna Ethiopian restaurant
Community Service
An individual who provides service and time to improve our community
Winners: Jean Claude Munyezamu & Adanech Sahilie
Education
An individual in education making a positive impact in the lives of our students and youth in Calgary
Winner: Randy Quansah
Law
An individual working in the Legal field who make an impact in the community
Winner: Kene Ilochonwu
Medicine
An individual practicing in the Medical field working to improve the lives of their patients, their students, and research in the field
Winners: Dr. Morris Scantlebury & Dr. Wauldron Afflick
STEM
An individual who excels in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math and who is creating opportunities for Black community members to get involved and join the field
Winner: Dr. Nicole Johnson
Sports & Athletics
An individual with athletic achievements, playing and on the sidelines
Winners: Eddie Richardson & Hakeem Dawodu
Youth Achievement
A young individual (under 30) who has positively impacted our community in any of the above areas
Winners: Semhar Abraha & Deborah Mebude
Lifetime Achievement
An individual whose continued contributions over the years made Calgary a better place to live for Black people
Winners: Mary Tidlund
Why do we need an awards ceremony?
Black people have been in the Calgary area for many years and have made significant contributions to the growth and vibrancy of this great city. It is important to show our youth, newcomers, and established residents, that noteworthy accomplishments are being made by our people in several domains. Let's show our youth that there are Black people doing amazing things, not just showing up, but excelling in their fields.
The award categories are intended to cover the major areas of contribution. However, we recognize that not everything will be represented and invite suggestions for subsequent years.
We urge you to nominate people so we may formally recognize those who are making us proud. The deadline is January 8th, so please let us know about people making a difference in Calgary.