A celebration of the Black community and its contributions is returning for a second year with expanded programming and events.
The second annual Black Excellence Awards and Gala will take place in 2025 and will run for an entire month. The event will dedicate the month of February to recognizing and celebrating black culture and honouring those who advocate tirelessly for equity and inclusion.
“Last year during the gala, I said the words ‘elevate and celebrate’ and when I thought about it afterwards, because it really resonated with the crowd, I thought how do we celebrate more,” said Organizer Doug Robbins
The festivities during the month will include the Black Youth Expo on February 1, a concert entitled Stand By Me: A Century of Black Music and Its Influence on February 15, and a dinner and dance at the W.I.S.H. Centre on February 22. The formal Black Excellence Awards and Gala will then take place March 1.
“I expect the response to be huge,” said Robbins.
Robbins said it was important this year to recognize the youth in the community as part of the event.
“The youth is our tomorrow. That’s very cliché and we’ve heard it a million times but it’s really true. We want them to be proud of who they are,” he said.
Nominations for the awards will be open December 8 through January 18th. Honours being handed out include youth, female, male, agriculture, entrepreneur, and citizen of the year, along with the Trailblazer of the Year award.
The Black Excellence Awards and Gala is organized by the Black Excellence Committee, in collaboration with Buxton’s Next Generation and the Buxton National Historic Site & Museum.
For more information about the upcoming event, email Doug Robbins at blackexcellenceck@gmail.com.