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NSCC awards to celebrate Black and African Nova Scotian community leaders

Category: Campuses Community and Culture Student Awards and Learning
Photo, from left to right of Rocky Jones, Deanna Mohamed, and Chester Borden with white background.
From left to right: Rocky Jones, Deanna Mohamed, and Chester Borden.

Supporting NSCC’s Black and African Nova Scotian students

Thanks to the generosity and endorsement of NSCC’s Black African Nova Scotian Employee Resource Network (BAERN), four new $2,500 awards have been launched to support Black and African Nova Scotian students at NSCC. Three of the awards are named in recognition of Black and African Nova Scotian leaders whose work inspires and impacts their communities.

The BAERN’s guiding principles are to promote the safety, equity and inclusion of People of African descent in NSCC’s policies, programs and campus life across the province, as well as the visibility, connection and support for Black and African Nova Scotian students. Each year, based on their principles, the BAERN will nominate and vote on community leaders who will be celebrated by having an award in their name. This years’ awards recognize the following:

  • The Rocky Jones Community Leadership Award: Rocky Jones spent much of his life fighting for social justice for Black and Indigenous people in Canada; his was a strong voice in the areas of human rights, race and poverty. This years’ award honours his incredible legacy, learn more about Rocky’s award.
  • The Deanna Mohamed Community Leadership Award: Deanna started her career as an African Nova Scotia Student Support Worker at New Glasgow Middle School and North Nova Education Centre. Now employed at NSCC the past 15 years, she currently works as the Student Services Advisor and African Canadian Supports at the College’s Pictou Campus. This year’s award honours her outstanding work with Black and African Nova Scotian students, learn more about Deanna’s award.
  • The Chester Borden Community Award: Chester hails from his favourite community, Whitney Pier, where he has worked with youth for nearly 40 years. His youth work spans from his time as a coach, a student support worker through the school board and, for the last 17 years, as the Executive Director of Boys and Girls Club Cape Breton. This year’s award honours his phenomenal work and dedication to his community, learn more about Chester’s award.
  • The Ujima Award: Ujima is one element of Nguzo Saba, or “The Seven Principles” of Africentrism. Ujima is the principle of "Collective Work and Responsibility,” which means, “to build and maintain our community together and make our community’s problems, our problems, and to solve them together.” Learn more about the Ujima Award.

Make a difference today

Learn more about ways to give to the NSCC Foundation and contact us to discuss how you can support Black and African Nova Scotian students at NSCC:

By phone (toll-free): 1-866-745-7919 | Fax: (902) 491-4828
Email:

To see options for giving online:
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Return to Fall 2023 Update

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