'Never let anyone dull your shine,' says award winner, 17, after Hamilton event celebrating Black excellence

For Mofiyinfoluwa Saka, attending the John C. Holland Awards was an "absolutely surreal" experience.

"It felt very welcoming and inviting to see all the people there that came to celebrate the accomplishments of Black individuals in our community," the 17-year-old said.

The annual event is put on by the Hamilton Black History Council and celebrates excellence in Hamilton's Black community.  It took place this year at the LIUNA Station Grand Ballroom on James Street North Saturday night.

Saka was the recipient of the Marlene Thomas "Community Advocacy" Award, named after the community organizer who founded the awards in 1996.

"I got a chance to speak with Marlene Thomas herself and she also congratulated me and told me how proud she was that I won. The support of everyone there was just indescribable," Saka told CBC Hamilton Monday, after the win. 

She said it felt special to be in a room with other individuals "who know what it's like being a Black person in Canada and what it's like to be unrecognized, underestimated and undervalued."

Representation in STEM

Saka is ready to pursue software engineering at McMaster University and said she "has what it takes to succeed in the field."

She said due to a lack of representation, it can feel discouraging to want to pursue a career in the often male-dominated fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). 

"Despite my interests in coding and software, I had shied away from it because I never saw any girls in the coding club or winning hackathons," she said.

Saka said she wants to be that "source of inspiration," for other girls.

She has also been an advocate for issues like anti-racism work and mental health.

"To Black girls — and girls in general — that want to follow a similar path to mine, I'd like to tell you that you are a star. Never let anyone dull your shine by telling you what you can or cannot be."

'It starts with one person'

Fellow award-winner Serenity Thompson said she was surprised when it was announced that she had won the Rev. George Horton scholarship.

"I wasn't expecting to win … especially with so many other talented, amazing people there."

At 17, Thompson has already graduated high school and is set to pursue criminology at York University.

She said her goal is to "make the law more just for everyone."

"The younger generation is obviously going to be the one stepping into control. And we need to start doing something about it now," she said.

"It starts with one person," she said.

"As a young Black woman, it's hard to kind of find your place. And I want to make sure that my voice is heard and not stepped over or ignored. Because I know that I have opinions, I have goals, and I want to reach them all fairly."

'You just felt like you belong there'

Thompson said there was not a single dull moment at the awards.

She said the event "exceeded [her] expectations."

"You just felt like you belong there, and you could just really be yourself."

Yasmeen Elkheir said for her, attending the event was nerve-racking. Those dissipated quickly, however, when the welcoming atmosphere at the awards settled in.

She was the recipient of the Dr. Ethilda Johnson "Business/Entrepreneurship" bursary.

Elkheir, who is also 17, said after talking to some of her fellow nominees, she didn't think she would win.

"So then when they called my name, my heart dropped, I was really surprised."

From playing Minecraft to developing software

Elkheir plans to pursue computer science, a passion that started with fixing Java files on Minecraft.

"My game always crashed because I always had mods downloaded, so I was trying to figure out ways to fix it."

"I wanted to learn more about computer science so I could make games like Minecraft."

Even though she's lost interest in making videogames, she still wants to pursue computer sciences, specifically, artificial intelligence.

Elkheir has completed a Harvard course and is now the lead developer of an AI project focusing on detecting cyberbullying, she said. 

A sold-out event

The awards celebrated their 27th year and included guests such as Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath, local MP Filomena Tassi, several city councillors and school board trustees, and professor and long-time community advocate Gary Warner, among others. 

The sold-out event awarded almost 30 people, including Ainara Alleyne, who received the inaugural Ainara Alleyne Rising Star Award.

Here's the full list of winners:

• Lincoln Alexander Breaking Down Barriers Scholarship - Esther Goombs
• Evelyn Myrie Political Action Bursary - Alice Okpere
• Nelson Mandela Social Justice Scholarship - Chanice Olokesusi
• Rev. George Horton Scholarship - Serenity Thompson
• Youth Achievement Bursary - Suzanne Abdullah
• Audre Lorde LGBTQ+ Scholarship - Adelusi Omowonuola
• Youth Achievement Bursary - Cynthia Oyogo
• Marlene Thomas Community Advocacy Bursary - Mofiyinfoluwa Saka
• Youth Achievement Bursary - Devlyn Tagoe
• Immigrants Matter Bursary - Abraham Oroma
• Youth Achievement Bursary - Cyrena Hamilton
• Dr. Ethilda Johnson Business/Entrepreneurship Bursary - Yasmeen Elkheir
• Raymond G. Lewins Sport Leadership Scholarship - Laila Hampson
• Tune In Foundation Bursary - Olivia Purnell
• YMCA Girls Rock Scholarship - Kiyara Millwood
• Hamilton Steelworkers Area Council Community Matters Scholarship - Ademide Abogunrin
• Youth Achievement Bursary - Khairiya Haji
• Youth Achievement Bursary - Joshua Cote
• Youth Achievement Bursary - Keionna Cousins
• Youth Achievement Bursary - Josiah Bowen
• Youth Achievement Bursary - Derron Alleyne
• Youth Achievement Bursary - Shante Paddy
• Rising Star Award - Ainara Alleyne
• Jackie Washington Arts Award - Esie Mensah
• HBHC Award of Merit - Robert Small
• Community Service Award - BLK Owned HamOnt
• Business/Professional Achievement - Vivian Kaye
• Vice Morgan Ally Award - Denise Christopherson

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.