2023 BLM SEACOAST EXCELLENCE AWARDS
Black Lives Matter Seacoast is proud to present our 3rd Annual BLM Seacoast Excellence Awards!
We will be honoring Black, Indigenous and Person of Color community members older than 14 years old from all walks of life; artists, educators, activists, entrepreneurs, inventors, musicians, students, etc., that have made contributions to benefit the Seacoast areas of New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts!
The event will be taking place on February 26th at 5pm in the Strafford Room in the Memorial Union Building at the University of New Hampshire.
HOST
Joanna Kelley
Joanna Kelley is the owner of Cup of Joe cafe & bar in downtown Portsmouth and New Hampshire native. Ms. Kelley is passionate about non-profits, politics and advocacy work in the state. She is one of the founders of The New England BIPOC cultural festival and serving board member for many organizations including: The Seacoast African American Cultural center, Strawbery Banke Musuem, 603 Forward foundation and The Chase Children’s Home. Joanna is the Assistant Mayor of Portsmouth serving her first term; having been the first African American elected to Portsmouth City Council and the first African American Assistant Mayor in the state of New Hampshire.
DJ
Chloe Cataldo (DJ MAM)
DJ MAM is a new addition to our Black Lives Matter Seacoast Board. Chloe (DJ Mam) is originally from Boston but has called NH her home for 26 years. Although Chloe’s musical interests are centered in early 90’s Hip-Hop & R&B, she loves and plays all music as she believes music brings people together and can survive in some of our hardest moments. DJ mam is not only an advocate for Brown & Black voices but also the LGBTQA+ community..
DECORATOR
Jewel Reid
Jewel Reid is the sole proprietor of Home Gems by Jewel, Interior Design and Home Staging. With her instinctive eye for beauty and sense of scale, her design style is sophisticated elegance with a comfortable, intimate feel. Jewel’s objective and passion remains the same; to curate interiors that not only spark joy but that attain the highest level of producing functional rooms that reflect client’s goals and personality. Jewel doesn’t just create pretty spaces, but aims for her clients to feel inspired, elevated and right at home. Her designs spread throughout the New Hampshire Seacoast area, Boston, Cleveland, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Florida. The entire process is self discovery, creative discovery and learning more about how mood and fuction work together. Jewel’s education and counseling background brings out patience and kindness that is unprecedented in the field.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Stephanie Bramlett
Stephanie Bramlett is the Vice Chair of BLM Seacoast, past speaker at TEDxPortsmouth, and the inaugural Director of Equity and Inclusion at Phillips Exeter Academy. She works with every constituency group at PEA-- all employees, students, parents, trustees, alumni, and the broader Exeter community. Stephanie is the head of the summer Exeter Diversity Institute and is a board member of the New England chapter of People of Color in Independent Schools.
YOUTH TRAILBLAZER AWARD WINNER
Rekha Mahadevan
Rekha Mahadevan is a senior at Berwick Academy in South Berwick, Maine. She enjoys a wide range of subjects at school including math, science, and the arts. Rekha has received many accolades at her school including achieving Cum Laude status in her junior year and receiving the Johns Hopkins Book award which is given to a student who uses their intellect for the betterment of society. She has also been inducted into the National Latin Honor Society and the National Art Honor society. She has also received a Scholastic Arts Silver Key award two years in a row. Rekha is passionate about social and environmental justice, leading the community service club and sustainability club at her school. Most recently, she worked on a project to bring recognition to five neglected tombstones of an African American family in her hometown of Madbury from the 19th Century. Rekha is also a tour guide at the Black Heritage Trail of NH and the vice president of the Seacoast NAACP Youth Council.
Collegiate Brilliance as an Undergraduate Student Award Winner
Somkene Dike Alakwe
My name is DK Alakwe, I'm a co-chair/co president of UNH's Black Student Union. I am from Nigeria and I'm a senior studying Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology. I was the Business Manager of BSU last year and played a significant role in program planning and organizing. I am also a member of the Middle Eastern Cultural Association (MECA), the UNH Red Cross Club and the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. I'm excited to be working more with BLM Seacoast now and after UNH to invest in the future of black youth and be a support for the Black community.
Ground-breaker in Graduate Studies Award Winner
Justice Ryland Estrada
Justice Ryland Estrada is a second-year law student from Stafford, Virginia, and President of the Black Law Students Association at the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law. Under his guidance, UNH BLSA has hosted various panels ranging from issues facing women of color working in law to the perceived professionalism of black hair in the workplace. This group has also hosted innovative programs and events: a Caribbean barbecue for its students, food drives, and various other events. Before coming to law school, he worked on Capitol Hill, where he worked on various issues like healthcare and veterans policy. As a future attorney, he hopes to positively impact the lives of others and fiercely advocate for the community he cares so deeply about.
Excellence in Artistry Award Winner
Duaa Zahra
Duaa Zahra is a first generation Iraqi-American artist. She was born in Baghdad, Iraq in 1991, now lives and works in Maine. She earned her BFA from the School of Museum of Fine Arts and Tufts University in Massachusetts. Her experiences as an Iraqi war refugee displaced by war influence her work and illuminate her visionary explorations. Her paintings reflect the diversity and spirituality of the human experience through harmonious symbolism and an enduring appreciation for nature. Duaa expresses her work predominantly with oil and acrylic paint on canvas. She has exhibited her work in various local shows and galleries.
Upcoming exhibition l Jan-Mar, 2024 l Cambridge, MA
Duaazahra.com
Academic Leader Award Winner
Danique Montique
My name is Danique Montique (Duh-neek Mon-tea-Q) and my pronouns are (she/her/hers). I migrated to Laconia, New Hampshire at 13 years old from Jamaica. I received my bachelor's degree in Political Science and Justice Studies from the University of New Hampshire (UNH). During my time at UNH, I served as co-chair, DSC representative and program coordinator for the Black Student Union. I am currently working as an RHD at UNH in Fairchild Hall supervising RAs and building community with both domestic and international students. I am excited to complete my master's program this upcoming December and hopefully gain employment as a social worker serving the Immigrant and refugee population somewhere in the U.S.
Business Owner Award Winner
David Vargas
As talented in the kitchen as he is in the community, Chef David Vargas shines a light on bright and beautiful Mexican cuisine crafted with our local ingredients; always with the mission of bringing people together to the table. “Community to Table” is David’s mantra, and we are grateful for the generosity, character and leadership he lives and shares every day here at the Seacoast. David helped create the New England BIPOC Festival and we are looking forward to its third celebration this fall. Davidhas been passionately working with the leaders of the Abenaki Tribe and now we have local farms growing indigenous seeds to honor our heritage. From the fields to the kitchen to community meetings to the schools, David has shared his energy, heart and soul with our community, all with the hope of fostering education and respect. Recently nominated by the James Beard Foundation as a semi-finalist for the “Outstanding Chef in America” award, we are proud to honor David ourselves with this evening’s award.
Community Impact Leader Award Winner
Latonya Wallace
Latonya Wallace is first and foremost a mother of two awesome kids! She is the Director of Community Relations at the Community Loan Fund, sits on the Portsmouth Library’s Board of Trustees, 2021 recipient of the NH Women’s Foundation Amplifiher award celebrating the women and girls of the pandemic. Recognized by New Hampshire Business Review as one of New Hampshire's 200 most influential leaders in 2021. Latonya is a board member of the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire, which promotes awareness and appreciation for the lives and history of African Americans. Creator of Women of Color Connections a group whose sole purpose is to bring together women of color to build connection, offer support and uplift one another. She is also an Incorporator and Vice Chair for the Business Alliance for People of Color (BAPOC). Latonya is a covener, known to many as someone who creates and nurtures community while helping others break through their barriers.