Springfield Museums Seek Nominations for 2026 Ubora, Ahadi Awards
SPRINGFIELD — The African Hall committee of the Springfield Museums is seeking nominations for the prestigious Ubora Award and Ahadi Youth Award, which recognize African-American people from Greater Springfield who have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to community service, education, science, humanities, or the arts.
Nomination forms are available at springfieldmuseums.org/ubora, and the deadline is March 31. Nominations may be submitted online, or forms can be downloaded and mailed to African Hall Committee, Springfield Museums, 21 Edwards St., Springfield, MA 01103.
“This is a wonderful opportunity to honor the pioneers of our community who go above and beyond to make a difference in the lives of others,” said Terry Powe, chair of the African Hall committee.
The African Hall committee is a volunteer group comprising educators, businesspeople, and community leaders from the African-American community.
Named for the Swahili word meaning ‘excellence,’ the Ubora Award has been awarded annually since 1992; in 2025, the recipient was Vanessa Ford, associate director and voice faculty member at the Community Music School of Springfield and the founding director of the Trust Transfer Project.
The Ahadi Youth Award has been given since 2009 to an African American student (age 19 or younger) who embodies the Swahili word for ‘promise’ and excels in both academics and service to the Greater Springfield community. The student must be currently enrolled in grade 10, 11, or 12. Last year, for the first time in the award’s history, two honorees were selected: Saryah Brantley, a recent graduate of Hampden Charter School of Science, who is now a freshman at Spelman College; and Elijah Ballard Deon, one of the top students in Rise Early College High School’s class of 2025, who is now pursuing a business degree at Western New England University.
Click here for a complete list of awardees.
The Ubora and Ahadi Awards will be presented on Saturday, Sept. 19 at the Springfield Museums. For more information or to become an event sponsor, email ubora@springfieldmuseums.org.