5th Annual Gala
Join us as we celebrate a Night of Black Excellence with our 5th Annual Gala!
When: October 5th, 2024
Time: 6pm - 10pm
Where: Bedford Event Center, 379 South River Road, Bedford New Hampshire 03110
Black Lives Matter New Hampshire on October 5th 2024, 6pm - 10pm, at the Bedford Event Center in Bedford New Hampshire, will be having its 5th Annual Black Excellence Gala! The purpose of the Gala is celebrate Black Excellence with Black performances, Black Food, Black music, Black Art; a space to love and appreciate Blackness in the most purest and unapologetic form.
The proceeds of our event go to our Mutual Aid Fund. This invaluable fund has helped our Black community by giving back over $200,000 for needs such as rent, utilities, and basic family needs. The Mutual Aid Fund is our radical act of caring for each other, while simultaneously working to change our communities.
We will be hosting a silent art auction at the event. The art will be made by various local Black artists and attendees will be able to bid on the art throughout the night with the highest bidders being notified at the end of the event!
Learn about the Host, Keynote Speaker, Art Auction Artists and Sponsors below!
Keynote Speaker
Tanya Denise Fields
I don’t know that I believe in “Black Excellence”, I think it is a deeply problematic term, inherently rooted in some Western capitalist ideas of success and elitism. What resonates with me is Black resilience, Black joy and Black love. Ideals that we have expanded because of and in spite of the experiences we have had in this country, propped up on stolen indigenous land and that we have made unique because we are apart of a diaspora desperately seeking to truly find a commonality.
Inspired by her experiences as a single working mother living in a marginalized community, Tanya Denise Fields founded the Black Feminist Project (formerly the BLK Projek) in 2009 as a response to sexist institutional policies, structurally reinforced cycles of poverty, and harsh inequities in wealth and access to capital that result in far too many women being unable to rise out of poverty and sustain their families. The group’s work has been covered by the New York Times, MSNBC’s The Melissa Harris Perry Show, The New York Daily News and numerous other print and digital platforms. Tanya’s numerous fellowships and commitment to professional development has connected her with a national cohort of social justice change agents. With a Bachelor’s in Political Science from Baruch College, and a talent for public speaking, blogging and singing, Tanya has become a sought after public speaker. She provided widely praised keynote speeches at the 2012 Just Food conference, the City University of New York School of Professional Studies 2013 commencement, the Marion Institute’s Connecting Through Change conference and the 2016 Greenthumb Conference: Grow Together, to just name a few. She has served on several plenary panels, lead and facilitate workshops across the country. Previous to the Black Feminist Project, Tanya worked with several high profile environmental organizations located in the South Bronx - Mothers on the Move, Sustainable South Bronx and the Majora Carter Group.
Tanya built upon the network, skills, resources and knowledge she gained through those experiences to create the Black Feminist Project. She is a reputed and rising public speaker and educator. She has spoken, conducted workshops and participated on panels at Just Food Annual Conference, NOFA NY Winter Conference, Manhattanville College, Kingsboro College, Brooklyn Food Coalition, NEWSAWG and others. In addition to her work as a nonprofit and community leader, she is a thought leader, cultural influencer and social media personality. With a strong following on Facebook and Twitter, Tanya created and stars in Mama Tanya’s Kitchen, a web based cooking and lifestyle show.
With a heaping amount of humor and a dash of sass, Tanya teaches viewers how to cook affordable, diverse meals with gourmet flair. Her episodes and Facebook Lives are popular and attract attention in the food world and beyond. She is a sometimes writer previously writing a column on food and food justice for EBONY.com, giving astute commentary on radical Black motherhood and fashions herself a “rachet feminist”. She has also contributed a chapter for the book "The Next Eco-Warriors" by Emily Hunter and has been cited in many other academic and educational texts. You can find Tanya, the Black Feminist Project and Mama Tanya’s Kitchen on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
HOST
Kevin Pajaro-Mariñez
“Black excellence means celebrating Black people beyond their academic and professional accomplishments. Black excellence is Black people finding ways to exist despite the constant violent reminders of their disposability.
Kevin Pajaro-Mariñez (he/him/his) is a first-generation Black Latino with Colombian and Dominican roots. He was raised in the wonderful city of Providence, RI. Kevin attended the University of Rhode Island, where he earned his bachelor’s in Communication Studies. Thereafter, he attended Michigan State University where he earned his master’s degree in Student Affairs Administration. Currently, Kevin serves as the inaugural Assistant Director for Equity and Inclusion at Phillips Exeter Academy, an independent boarding school in Exeter, NH. Outside of his professional work, Kevin founded a community-based reading group called the Black Men’s Reflection Group (BMRG) where Black men come together to think expansively about masculinity. He enjoys dancing bachata and salsa, collecting socks, and playing video games.
Art Auction Curator
Victoria Carrington Chávez
Victoria Carrington Chávez is a renowned visual artist and content creator. Her notable work, Decolonizing My School Mascot*, has been featured in galleries nationwide. As a Colorado native with Afro-Indigenous Latinx roots, Victoria’s work reflects her connection to Black, Diné, and Mexican cultures.
As Creative Director of Lilac & Aspen and La Mezcla Creative Co., she blends visual storytelling with strategy collaborating with best-selling authors and social media influencers. Victoria has also given guest lectures at Northeastern University, University of New Hampshire and other institutions on content creation.
Now based in New Hampshire, Victoria has curated the BLM Black Excellence Gala Art Auction for the past three years, raising over $5,000 for the Mutual Aid Fund, which has provided more than $100,000 in support to the local BIPOC community. She is proud to uplift BIPOC artists and serve her community. She appreciates BLM NH commitment to the arts as a way to honor vibrant and expressive communities.
Beyond her art and curation work, Victoria is a dynamic speaker, with her TEDx talk on multiculturalism earning widespread praise. She remains committed to supporting grassroots organizations that advocate for BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities worldwide.
Art Auction Artists
Derrick Boyd
Black excellence means so much more than individual achievements—it’s a testament to the resilience, strength, and beauty of our collective journey. When I see Black people excel in life, it fills my heart with joy and pride. It reminds me of how far we’ve come and inspires me to push even harder toward my own goals. Black excellence not only encourages me but also reflects the importance of uplifting each other as we continue to break barriers and redefine what success looks like for our community.
Dereck Boyd, born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, discovered photography and videography as a way to find a hobby while growing up sheltered. What started as a simple interest quickly transformed his life once he pressed “record.” Now an award-winning filmmaker, Dereck has traveled the world, capturing compelling moments and working on commercials, documentaries, and music videos. His work has been featured in multiple film festivals, and his passion for storytelling continues to drive his creative vision.
With a Communications degree from Bridgewater State University, Dereck’s art is shaped by the people, places, and stories that inspire him. His ultimate goal is to change the world through film, believing in the transformative power of visual storytelling. When he’s not behind the camera, Dereck dedicates his time to creating music, teaching Sunday school, and organizing community events in his hometown.
Jerami Harrison, LMHC
To me, black excellence is a movement! It is a dedication to the culture and having an unwavering stance that is backed up by those who preceded us! It is learning how to make our ancestors proud, while also creating generational wealth and legacy. It is showing up unapologetically as self and knowing how to stand strong in the face of adversity. Black Excellence is a stand, a movement, and an attitude!
Jermai Harrison, LMHC, is dedicated to a singular life purpose: guiding individuals through their healing journey, unlocking their untapped potential, and discovering growth beyond pain. Her mission involves delivering high-quality counseling, coaching, consulting, and mentoring services to individuals, families, youth-centered programs, and church ministries. Jermai stewards her gift as a Licensed Mental Health Therapist, Counseling Business Owner, Transitional Life Coach, Licensed Minister, Youth Leader, Podcast Host, AmeriCorps and NLC Alum, and holds a Masters Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Eastern Nazarene College. Jermai's enduring dedication revolves around transforming the lives of young individuals, a focal point that defines much of her work. Leveraging her skills, talents, and endeavors, she aims to empower individuals, fortify families, and enrich communities.
J'Quan "JNawlege" Oliver
The academia term refers to a high level of achievement or success demonstrated by black people that dates back to the Civil Rights movement. It's often characterized with the ability to overcome obstacles and walls within our own lives to achieve our goals. This is true, however there is a positive and negative to this term that needs to be explored. We love to use these terms like "black excellence" , "black power", "black is beautiful" , etc as words of aspiration that hold an immaculate amount of power. These were things we used to overt racism and inequalities that we have faced (and continue to face today) , but with great power comes great sacrifices. With how the pressures of society are, people of color are meant to "keep up the good work", "lock in" , "apply", and it becomes exhausting. The feeling is not as rewarding as we are made to believe as we carry the endless expectation to excel in places of failure. This possible lack of belonging that comes from exhaustion needs to be healed and talked about. We as a people need to reclaim the narrative and bring about how to healthily use the concept of black excellence in our lives. It's a powerful concept that celebrates black success and inspires others. All and all, it teaches us to respect those who made sacrifices so we could thrive.
J'Quan "JNawlege" Oliver is a multifaceted Artist from Worcester that looks to use different art mediums to illustrate the feeling of being in your "own" movie, your own character. Trained in multiple Martial Arts since he was six and has had extensive training in Hip-Hop, Krump, Animation & parkour. As J'Quan progressed, he traveled to look into different genres of art and dance from different cultures to further expand his knowledge and understanding in order to then develop his own unique movement style. Attended Becker College in Worcester, MA for Game Design. Helped create the Becker College Dance program, choreographed/danced for companies, danced with the OG Boston dance crew, Phunk Phenomenon, and was a Director for Urbanity. Worked with music artists such as Joyner Lucas, Rodney Hazard, Maverick, World Premier Band and many other local artists. All and all, he looks to bridge together multiple art disciplines to storytell and reminds us to feel our characters. "It's not always about the movement of your body, but the movement of your mind."
Whitney Maka Barney
Black Excellence transcends definition.
It is an affirmation of love, joy, and resilience. Black excellence is a mindset – one that rejects limitations and embodies pride and self-love.
Black excellence is community, family and friendship.
It reclaims narrative, redefines success, and occupies space unapologetically.
Black excellence is a journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance.
In its essence, Black excellence declares: Black is excellent, simply because it exists.
Whitney Maka Braney was born and raised in Utah by her single mother Natalie Barney.
For her, photography is a powerful language – a way to capture the beauty, resilience, and complexity of human experience.
Through her work, Whitney seeks to:
Uplift and empower
Showcase the vibrant diversity of New England, challenging stereotypes and celebrating inclusivity
Create safe spaces for marginalized voices, amplifying their beauty and resilience.
She is Inspired by the power of art to challenge and transform, Whitney's photography is an art for the human spirit.
Follow her journey as she weaves together visual stories of identity, community, and resistance. Instagram:@weareall_art
Ysabel-Lei Leilani Ramas
Black excellence encompasses the remarkable accomplishments and achievements that Black individuals have attained over many years. It is not only about these incredible feats but also about the inspiring people of color who have paved the way for Black individuals in the modern world. Their contributions have laid the foundation for progress and continue to inspire future generations to strive for greatness. Someone who represents black excellence for me is older brother because not only is he a top student in almost all of his classes, he’s also a varsity athlete. His whole life he had at least one person praying on his down fall and yet he always proved them wrong, it’s truly incredible to me and set a standard for what I should strive for in life.
Born in October 2010, Ysabel-Lei Leilani Ramas is a young Haitian-Filipino American artist who began her journey in art at the age of 7. Her hobby soon became a passion that continues to motivate her to improve in her craft, through her insatiable appetite to study techniques through following tutorials online and via social media.
She’s used to use drawing as a way to put her creativity to use, but eventually found a love for the craft that can never be taken away the difficulties. To her, art is another to express the complexity of her experience as an adolescent of color growing up in the USA, another way to show people her mind and the many things that go on in there, whether that be her feelings, interests, or even current events. Most of her works are with mixed mediums done with pens, pencils, alcohol markers, and colored pencils. She picked up these mediums from learning to use what she had on hand during school to atone for passion to draw.
She aspires to continue developing her artistic acumen through more formal training and desires to use her craft into adulthood to inspire boundary-breaking through creative expression.
Esmeldy Angeles
Celebrating Black excellence fills me with pride and joy. It reminds me of the strength and talent we possess. It reminds me that success is attainable for everyone, regardless of where we come from. To me, it’s a way of honoring our history and paving the way for a better future, where everyone can shine and feel proud of their roots. With these photos, I aim to highlight some of the daily struggles of Black men. Each image tells a story. For instance, the weight of financial expectations, the vulnerability they should be allowed to embrace, and their journey toward self love. These portraits aim to uplift and empower, showcasing the strength and resilience of Black men in the face of challenges.
Esmeldy Angeles is a photographer based in Nashua, New Hampshire. She was born in the beautiful island of the Dominican Republic. From an early age, Esmeldy displayed an innate talent and passion for art, but it was photography that really captured her curiosity. Fascinated by the power of visual storytelling, she embarked on a journey to hone her craft and explore the world of photography.
Her journey led her to acquire a comprehensive understanding of various photography techniques and genres. Her photographs are a testament to her ability to capture the hidden stories that lie within each frame, often revealing the unseen beauty in the ordinary and the extraordinary. Through the lens, Esmeldy explores the beauty and complexity of humans, using light and shadow to accentuate the features and emotions of her subjects.
Esmeldy invites viewers to see the beauty and humanity in each person they encounter, celebrating the unique qualities that make us all who we are. to continue developing her artistic acumen through more formal training and desires to use her craft into adulthood to inspire boundary-breaking through creative expression.
