Saturday 17 April, 2021
Iconic Black media mogul Pat Bebia Mawa has added yet another feather to her laurels, with the award of the prestigious 2021 Harry Jerome media award and recognition as a Decade Leader. The awards were presented at the 39th Harry Jerome awards hosted by the Black Business and Professional Association in Toronto last Saturday.
Prior to coming to Canada, Patricia was the Host of “Lunch Date”, a daily talk show with influential guests, and “Thinking About You”, an inspirational, live call-in show on DBN Television in Lagos, Nigeria. Listed in the Who’s Who in Black Canada, she holds a B.Sc. degree in Political Science from University of Calabar and a Multimedia diploma from Algonquin College of Science and Technology in Ottawa. Patricia is a recipient of the Toronto Police Community Service Award, Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, the International Women Achievers Award and the Martin Luther King Dream Keeper Award.
Along with her husband Moses Mawa (CNN had dubbed the pair the “power couple”) Pat runs Silvertrust Media, a cutting-edge publishing, broadcasting, marketing and event management organization. They have produced over 20 magazine titles and boast 3 regular publications; namely Diversity, Destiny and Planet Africa. The company also produces three television shows that air on OMNI TV and Vision TV among others, including the internationally acclaimed Planet Africa Television show. The couple and their team of experienced professionals also host Afroglobal Television, a 24-hour channel. In August 2020, Pat was elected Chair of the Board of Directors of the Reelwood Institute. Reelwood is involved with the “Talent To Watch” program, which supports emerging filmmakers, accelerate their career and allow them to develop expertise in digital marketing and promotion of audio visual projects.
Writing on her Facebook page , Pat said:
Receiving the 2021 BBPA Harry Jerome Media Award and being recognised as a Decade Leader has reignited my resolve to continue to do what I do with renewed purpose. We have to continue to take action to make sure that the sacrifices that have been made by our ancestors for the progress that we are making today is not in vain. Thank you BBPA for the honour and to Pepsi for sponsoring my award.
About Harry Jerome awards
Who is Harry Jerome?
A premiere track athlete of his time, his physical successes were partnered with scholastic excellence and social consciousness. Apart from his athletics he earned both undergraduate and graduate degrees and was always conscious of the challenges facing African Canadians. He obtained equipment for young athletes who could not afford the expensive gear, created opportunities for Blacks outside the sports arena, and was a vocal opponent of the misrepresentation of African Canadians in Canadian television and wage discrimination barriers. Harry Jerome took on the concerns of a community, a country, epitomizing excellence, determination and dedication.
What is BBPA?
The Black Business and Professional Association is a non profit, charitable organization that addresses equity and opportunity for the Black community in business, employment, education and economic development.
The BBPA sponsors the annual Harry Jerome Awards, a national awards event that recognizes and honours excellence in achievement and supports higher education through the BBPA National Scholarship Fund.
What are the objectives of the BBPA Harry Jerome Awards?
The Harry Jerome Awards is a fundraiser that celebrates achievement in the Black community and supports the BBPA’s work in promoting the advancement of the Black-Canadian community, in the areas of Education, Economic & Entrepreneurial Development and Young Professional Training & Development.
As a non-profit organization, the BBPA needs to garner funds to support the BBPA National Scholarships, and deliver programs that support business and professional excellence, higher education and economic development.
This award ceremony is to showcase, recognize, and honor excellence within the African- Canadian community, to profile African Canadian Professionals, and to create a path to continue replicating these practices in the African-Canadian community.
What does the Harry Jerome Awards recognize?
This award ceremony is recognized as the most prestigious national awards gala in the African- Canadian community and is a symbol of achievement.
2021 Harry Jerome award recipients
- LOUIS-EDGAR JEAN-FRANÇOIS – BUSINESS AWARD
- JAMAAL MAGLOIRE – ATHLETICS AWARD
- TAYLOR LINDSAY-NOELRBC – YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR AWARD
- AL RAMSAY – PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
- VELMA MORGAN – COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD
- RANSFORD C. JONES – LEADERSHIP AWARD
- PATRICIA BEBIA MAWA – MEDIA AWARD
- KEN JEFFERS – LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
- DENNIS MITCHELL – PRESIDENT’S AWARD
- KATHY MCDONALD – DIVERSITY AWARD
- CLAUDETTE MCGOWAN – TECHNOLOGY AWARD
- DR. JOSEPH SMITH – DECADE LEADER AWARD
Source: BBPA