Shout Out: Recognizing remarkable leaders
Black Lives Matter New Hampshire presents Excellence Awards
This spring marked a significant celebration for the Black, Indigenous, and Person of Color (BIPOC) communities in New England as Black Lives Matter NH hosted its Excellence Awards event.
The awards honor outstanding individuals over the age of 14 from various fields, including arts, education, activism, entrepreneurship and more, recognizing their invaluable contributions to the region.
In 2023, the Granite State’s three Black Lives Matter chapters merged to form a single statewide nonprofit: Black Lives Matter New Hampshire.
“This year to incorporate the merger, our awards were held in Manchester with double the attendance from prior years versus the Seacoast,” said Tanisha Johnson of Exeter, co-founder and board chair of Black Lives Matter New Hampshire.
The event was hosted by Lionel Loveless, a board member of both the Business Alliance for People of Color New Hampshire and Black Lives Matter New Hampshire and owner of Officially Knotted Bowties in Stratham.
“(Hosting) the BLM Excellence Awards was special to me, because it was a program celebrating my community that was not available to me when I moved here eight years ago,” Loveless said. “Celebrating the amazing changemakers of color brought me a sense of pride and honor that I hope all people of color in New Hampshire can experience.”
The event featured a keynote address by Flo Nicolas, founder and chief data and innovation strategist at Get Tech Smart.
Nicolas’s keynote theme was a cautionary tale about the dangers of setting unrealistic expectations for Black excellence.
“While we gathered to celebrate the achievements of remarkable individuals in our community, I emphasized that the bar should not be set so high that it implies only the extraordinary can succeed and that failure is not an option,” Nicolas said. “My goal was to encourage them to continue making a positive impact on their community and advocating for meaningful change. This keynote stood out because it focused on recognizing the often-overlooked individuals who I consider the underdogs. I appreciated the intentionality behind these awards, which ensured that we celebrated and elevated the work of ordinary people, cheering them on as they continue their efforts.”
Seven individuals were honored at the Excellence Awards. Among them were Coyijocalyeea Grimes, who received the Youth Trailblazer Award for her voter engagement work with AFSC NH; Tinotenda Duche, a senior at the University of New Hampshire, who was recognized for her academic brilliance and passion for social justice; and Shantel Palacio, a doctoral candidate at UNH, who was awarded for her groundbreaking research in Leadership and Policy Studies. Other honorees included Diannely Antigua for Excellence in Artistry, Tina Kim Philibotte for her leadership in education, Sarah Krzyzanowski for her accomplishments as a business owner, and Journee LaFond for their extensive community impact and advocacy. The event highlighted the profound contributions of these individuals, celebrating their achievements and inspiring future generations.
“Our awards are the same categories, but this year we had so many nominations of BIPOC leaders, it was a challenge to choose as all were worthy,” Johnson said. “Our community impact leader is always a special award we honor, and this year we were happy to honor Journee who has done so much to make the LGBTQIA+ community more inclusive across the state.”
For more information on Black Lives Matter New Hampshire, visit blmnh.org.
This article is featured in the fall 2024 issue of 603 Diversity.
603 Diversity’s mission is to educate readers of all backgrounds about the exciting accomplishments and cultural contributions of the state’s diverse communities, as well as the challenges faced and support needed by those communities to continue to grow and thrive in the Granite State.
