Held the weekend of Juneteenth, the Black Excellence Awards honored 19 local residents across 17 categories representing the arts, business, politics and advocacy.
“If you’re alive and Black in America, you are Black excellence,” said Shanel Boyce, co-chair of the Black Excellence Awards committee.
In the DoubleTree by Hilton ballroom on Water Street in downtown Binghamton, teenagers and adults were recognized for their artistry, advocacy and resilience.
“Black excellence makes me uncomfortable because that implies Black mediocrity,” said Terri Weathers, a Binghamton artist who was named community organizer of the year. “The blood of our ancestors are fighters and survivors, and that makes us all excellent every day.”
Many of the awards are named after Black leaders and trailblazers in the Broome County community.
Hajra Aziz, Larry Parham Social Impact Award
The Larry Parham Social Impact Award was given to Hajra Aziz, executive director of the Southern Door Community Land Trust.
The award is named in honor of the cofounder of CARES Advocates for Families Inc., a grassroots organization created to address disparities in public education for families of color who are low-income and whose children have disabilities. Parham died in 2021.
Billie Dean Anderson, Majeedah Razzaq Community Achievement Award
Billie Dean Anderson, who is credited with reviving the Broome County chapter of the NAACP in the 1970s, was honored with the Majeedah Razzaq Community Achievement Award.
“Billie Dean Anderson wasn’t the kind to knock on doors,” said Tina Archie Brown, last year’s award recipient. “She was the kind to kick doors down.”
Russ Trevino, Dr. Beverly Dorsey Health & Wellness Award
The Dr. Beverly Dorsey Health & Wellness Award was presented to personal trainer Russ Trevino.
“I’m treating this like a Grammy because I ain’t never won nothing in my life,” Trevino said upon accepting the award. “We’re in Binghamton, so we gotta love humble…
Read the full article here
Leave a Reply