2012 HJA Media Launch

Michelle Ambrose Director of Events for the BBPA

Do you know an outstanding member of our community that is deserving of a BBPA Harry Jerome Awards? If so, visit our website today to down load the nominations package or pass this link along!

A descendent of Black Loyalists who settled in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia in 1783. With over 40 years experience in health care, adminstration and business ranging from hospital staff nurse to business owner, she trained as a registered nurse graduating from Dalhousie University with a Teaching Diploma and a Masters of Business Adminstration. I 1979 she was elected mayor of Annapolis Royal becoming the first Black mayor in Nova Scotia and the first black female Mayor in Canada. In 1988 she entered provincial politics and was the first black woman in Nova Scotia to be candidate in a provincial election. She has won numerous awards and has so many achievements and accolades to her name a true trailblazer.

As a trade Unionist, community organizer and activist, Bromley Armstrong fought for civil and righs long before Canada had a legislative and constituational framework to defend Human Rights. Born in Jamaica in 1926 he worked as a boilmaker and welder and attending Jamaica Trade Union Congress meetings before coming to Canada in 1947. He became an active leader in the United Auto Workers Local 439 and the Toronto District labour council. In 1954 he led a delegation to Ottawa, protesting the federal governments restrictive immigration policu that shut out blacks and other minorities. He was the first black to join the Ontario Labour relations Board in 1980 after serving 5 years as a commisioner on the Ontario Human Rights Comission.

An active member of the Halton Youth Advisory Committee, co founder of the Invisible Children Book Drive which collected over 39, 000 books to support literacy programs for children in Uganda, organizer of and AIDS Run that raised $10,000 for the Stephen Lewis Foundation and worked tirelessly on other projects such as a fashion Show to support Sleeping Children Around the World and an enviromental conference for students across the HAlton school District.Over the years Lashawn leadership abilities and commitment to social change has earned her many awards.

CEO of Afroglobal Television, a 24 hour channel dedicated to Africa and the Diaspora. Founder and Chairman of Silvertrust Communications, Planet Africa Group, Radio Amani (Uganda) Limited, and Silvertrust (Nigeria) Limited. The Planet Africa show which he executively produces is broadcast on OMNI TV in Canada, BEN TV in Europe and NTA International. He is also publisher of Planet Africa Magazine, available at Indigo, Chapters and Wal mart, international news, Gateway and Daisy stores in Canada and the US.

Dr. John Akabutu is a Profesor Emeritus,University of Alberta, Professor of paediatrics and the head of paediatric haematology a the U of A School of Medicine in Edmonton, serves as honorary consul general for his homeland Ghana for Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba and Founder and Executive director Alberta Cord Blood Bank Registry. His team has developed methods to purify, freeze and store stem cells from the umbillical cords of new borns.

Dr. Upton Allen MBBS (UWI), MSc, FAAP, FRCP, FRCp (UK), FIDSA, is a professor of Pediatrics at the University of Toronto. He is chief, Division of Infectious Diseases at the Hospital for Sick Children. Hes has trained students from all around the world and is widely recognized amongst the top specialists internationally, who focuses on infections among individuals who have undergone organ transplantation.

One of Canada s premier Percussionists and music teachers in the black community. He plays djembe, bongos, congas, timbales, steel pan and a wide assortment of other percussion instruments.He has performed both nationally and internationally an has received many awards. He is also the founder of Muhtadi Music Festival, now in it s 12th year the 3 day festival celebrates drum, its universality as an art form and its presence in all cultures.

Former Leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, former Member of Provincial Parliment, a canadian business leader, community activist and broadcaster, he works and volunteers with a variety of organizations including Canadian Football Legue, St. Michael s Hospital, United Way, TIFF, Salvation Army and is co chair of DiverseCity where he is working to ensure that Toronto s diversity is an asset we continue to display proudly.

2011 BBPA Harry Jerome Community Service recipient Ileen Pat Howell. Originally from Jamaica, is a retired social worker/therapist whose work has improved lives of those in Markham and the entire York region. She serves as vice chair for the York regional police community advisory committee and also serves on the York regional police hate crime community working group. She still finds time to be involved in weekly youth tutorial and crime prevention outreach programs, provision of educational scholarships, black history month and kwanza celebrations and simple tasks by driving seniors to appointments and parents to school council meetings.

BBPA HARRY JEROME Arts Award Recipient Kayla Perrin. Has a B.A. in English and Sociology and a B.Ed in Primary/Junior education. Kayla is an award winning USA Today and Essense bestselling author of 40 published books, as of January 2011. In Kayla s 13 years in publishing, she has been a trailblazer in the African American fiction arena.

BBPA HARRY JEROME Academic Award Recipient Michelle McFarlane. She is a recent graduate of the Master of Science (MSc) a collaborative program in Neurosciences at University of Toronto. Michelle completed her undergraduate sutdies in the health sciences program at McMaster University and she received a Golden Key Award for achieveing an academic average in the top 15% of her class.

The 2011 BBPA Harry Jerome Business Award recipient Isaac Olowolafe Jr. At the age of 27 is already a succesful business owner and philanthropist. Through partnership with his father (Isaac Sr.) Isaac Jr. is President of Dream Maker Reality (DMR). Established almost 8 years ago, DMR is Isaac s first company and operates as a real estate firm with $50 million of real estate under management. Isaac is also President and CEO of Dream Fund Holdings, an innovative company that issues real estate investments opportunities i

The 2011 BBPA Harry Jerome Young Entrepreneur Award recipient Jade Jager Clark. A tireless Entrepreneur she opened her first company Jade s Hip Hop Academy (JHHA) at the age of 18, while still attending school full time. JHHA is the only all Hip Hop and street dance studio in Toronto, the GTA and one of the few of its kind in Canada. Established in Brampton in 2006 the school s impressive reputation build from outstanding competition results and numerous electrifying performances in the Brampton community and around the province attracts students from as far as Guelph, Barrie, Oakville, Orangeville, Milton, Malton, Toronto, Vaughan, Mississauga, Ajax, Hamilton, Woodbridge, Scarborough, Pickering and Georgetown, to train in JHHA s highly acclaimed programs. Jade has successfully managed to raise the profile of authentic hip hop dance and created a successful Performance Company and student teacher program that continues to build, develop and drive the next generation of young leaders and performers.

The 2011 BBPA Harry Jerome Presidents Award recipient Chancellor Raymond G Chang. Recognized as an outstanding Canadian Business Leader and philanthropist whose contributions have advanced financial, health, education and cultural sectors with significant and farsighted investments of personal resources and dedicated attention.