ECA - Essence and Culture Awards

01/08/2025

12/31/2024

Congrats to all the Nominees to date!!!🥳🥳🥳
🚨🚨🚨🚨Nominations close at 12am Midnight!!
Hurry and get your choices in!!
The 4th Essence & Culture Awards Show - February 16, 2025
is going to be Out of This World!!!!!!! Vote now, Link in Bio.
http://ecawards.ca/nominations/

12/19/2024

🎄 Santa's Elves Christmas Charity Dinner 🎄

This holiday season, let’s come together to spread joy and warmth! If you or someone you know is in need of a hot meal and good cheer, join us for Santa’s Elves Christmas Dinner—a free event for families who could use a little extra love this Christmas.

📅 Date: December 25th, 2024
🕓 Time: 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
📍 Location: 630 Dundas Street, London, Ontario

Enjoy a delicious hot meal, connect with others in the community, and experience the true spirit of Christmas.

If you know families or friends who could benefit from this special gathering, please let them know—they are warmly invited!

Let’s make this Christmas unforgettable, together.
For more information, contact us at: [email protected] or call 519-694-3429

🎅 Hope to see you there! 🎅

12/18/2024

Nominations Are Open for the 2025 Essence and Culture Awards! 🌟

It’s that time of the year again! We’re thrilled to announce that nominations for the 2025 Essence and Culture Awards (LACA) are officially open. This is your chance to recognize and celebrate outstanding individuals, businesses, and organizations in our community who embody excellence, culture, and inclusivity.

Do you know someone who has made a significant impact in areas like community service, arts, culture, or leadership? Nominate them today and give them the recognition they deserve!

✨ Categories include:

Community Leadership

Medicine

Arts and Culture

Youth Empowerment

Diversity and Inclusion

🗓️ Nomination Deadline: December 31st, 2024
📍 Subwmit your nominations here: http://ecawards.ca/nominations

Let’s come together to honor the changemakers shaping our community!



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12/17/2024

Behind the Scenes: Preparation for the Essence and Culture Awards

During the downtime leading up to the Essence and Culture Awards, the operations team, led by the dedicated Michelle Bessette, works tirelessly to ensure the event's success. This period is far from quiet—it's a time of strategic planning, outreach, and promotion.

Michelle Bessette and her team focus on building excitement and awareness for the awards, attending various events, and engaging with the community. Their efforts are critical in promoting the event's vision of celebrating diversity, inclusion, and cultural excellence. Michelle’s passion and leadership shine through as she represents the Essence and Culture Awards with enthusiasm, fostering partnerships and spreading the word about this important occasion.

This dedicated work behind the scenes exemplifies the commitment and heart that make the Essence and Culture Awards an impactful and celebrated event.

11/26/2024

We are deeply honored to announce that our Non Profit community group, which organizes the Essence and Culture Awards (LACA), has been recognized with The City of London Diversity, Race Relations, and Inclusivity Award.

This prestigious award was presented to us by the Honorable Mayor Josh Morgan, a moment that truly validates the work we do to celebrate diversity and promote cultural inclusivity within our communities.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the City of London for this recognition and to everyone who has supported us along the way. This award belongs not just to us but to every individual who contributes to making our communities a place where all voices are celebrated and valued.

Let’s continue to uplift, inspire, and build bridges of understanding together.

11/06/2024

Dr. Oriuwa is a physician, spoken word artist, and advocate against systemic racism in health care. She was the only Black medical student in her graduating class at University of Toronto’s medical school in 2020, and she was also valedictorian when she graduated. This quote connects back to how she allows herself to reflect on her unique experiences and channel her vulnerability into her spoken word art. Like Dr. Oriuwa, we can all aim to rise above adversity through creative methods.

11/06/2024

Donovan Bailey is a retired Jamaican Canadian sprinter and the first man in history to be world champion, Olympic champion and world record holder at the same. Donovan Bailey inspires us to keep working hard to achieve our dreams, regardless of anyone who might tell us to give up.

11/06/2024

Cameron is a 15-year-old YouTuber who uses the platform to make videos about what it’s like to be a Black teenager living in Canada. Cameron’s quote is a painful reminder that despite Canada being renowned for its inclusivity and diversity, prejudice still exists today towards Black individuals of all ages.

11/06/2024

Sarah Jama is the co-founder of Disability Justice Network of Ontario. She said this during an engaging speech at an event held by the Broadbent Institute. It is truly so important that we support people with disabilities by providing them with the tools to live their best life. At Surrey Place, our Self-Advocacy Council is one way for people with disabilities to share their feedback and help us improve our services.

11/06/2024

As co-founder of Black Lives Matter (BLM) Toronto who also identifies as Black, q***r, and gender nonconforming, Janaya Khan is a prime example of a leader who reminds us of the importance of listening to others’ stories and listening intently to accounts of racism or any other form of discrimination. True privilege is about not being forced to go through these types of situations.

11/06/2024

Rosemary Brown was the first Black Canadian woman to become a member of a provincial legislature and the first woman to run for leadership of a federal political party. This quote from Rosemary is a reminder that an “open door” that allows BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour) to hold a position of power is a triumph, but that door should remain open for more BIPOC to have a seat at the table.

11/06/2024

Jean Augustine was the first Black Canadian woman to serve as a federal Minister of the Crown and Member of Parliament. Her impactful words remind us that the stories of Black Canadians creating positive change in our society should be told to people of all backgrounds and recognized as our collective history as Canadians

10/27/2024

05/28/2024

May 28 - Join Colin (Dj Huggy B), Angel Fishel and the Jerk Fest Reps
The conversation continues on London Ontario Festivals.
Right here at 7pm