Senator Eldridge and Representative Sena Nominate Boxborough Black Leaders for Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus Awards
Evelyn Abayaah and Lovingsky Jasmin named 2021 Black Excellence On The Hill Honorees
Acton, MA – Senator Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton) and Representative Danillo Sena (D-Acton) nominated two active Black leaders from their communities in the 2021 Black Excellence on the Hill event.
The 2021 Black Excellence on the Hill event is an annual event hosted by the Massachusetts Black & Latino Legislative Caucus (MBLLC) to commemorate Black community leaders and trailblazers that are moving the needle forward in cities and towns across Massachusetts. While usually held in the Great Hall of Flags, the virtual landscape did not diminish the celebration of an expansive range of nominees who mirror the expansiveness of Blackness.
This year, 72 nominees from across Massachusetts were commemorated. Nominees were educators creating new modes of access for students of color, chocolatiers using food to forge greater community connection, museum directors finding new ways to amplify and honor Black history, and many more. This event, in celebration of Black History month, serves as an important opportunity to honor the successes and resilience of Black leaders across the Commonwealth
Senator Eldridge nominated Evelyn Abayaah for her Black Excellence on the Hill award.
“I was very proud to nominate my friend and constituent Evelyn Abayaah for the 2021 Black Excellence on the Hill event. I have known Evelyn and her family for several years. She has been outspoken in calling out racism against the Black community in Acton and Boxborough, moving elected officials and community leaders to be bolder in tackling systemic racism. Evelyn was elected to the Acton Boxborough School Committee in 2020, and has been a vocal proponent of increased state aid for the Acton Boxborough Regional School District, increasing the diversity of teachers in the school district, and implementing anti-racism school curriculum,” said Senator Eldridge.
“My gratitude to the Massachusetts black and Latino legislative leaders for the honor and to Sen Eldridge for the nomination. I am a firm believer that each one of us can do our part to make this world an equitable and inclusive place for all. It is under this premise that I do what I do every day in my community. This day and the Honor bestowed on me has refreshed, re energized and empowered me to get out there and work hard for equity and justice for all,” said Evelyn Abayaah.
Rep. Sena nominated Boxborough resident Lovingsky Jasmin. Lovingsky has stepped up and played an inspiring role in racial justice community organizing following the murder of George Floyd. Throughout the summer, Lovingsky led twice-a-week Black Lives Matter protests in Acton, including a large Juneteenth march. He co-founded the Acton-Boxborough-based group Racial Justice For Black Lives, which has grown to over 2000 members in its Facebook group, and effectively advocates for racial justice policy and collaborates with elected officials on the local and state level. Lovingsky has significantly helped to organize the Acton-Boxborough community in pursuit of social justice, and the result is a community strengthened by his presence and activism.
“I am proud to have nominated Lovingsky Jasmin as someone who personifies Black Excellence in our community,” said Representative Danillo A. Sena. “Lovingsky is hard-working and is dedicated to the fight for racial justice. I look forward to seeing his continued work to ensure a fairer, more just community.”
"I am profoundly grateful to Representative Dan Sena who set his sight on me as his nominee for the 2021 Black Excellence on the Hill hosted by the Massachusetts Black & Latino Legislative Caucus (MBLLC) in February to represent the town of Boxborough. Nothing can be more rewarding to me when I see my advocacy for diversity, equity, inclusivity, and especially the emancipation of Black Lives is recognized not just in the town where I live but also by elected officials in the state of Massachusetts. This significant act, once again, convinced me that first, we are stronger together, second, hard work pays off, and last but not least, we shall overcome one day," said Lovingsky Jasmin.
Created in 1973, the MBLLC remains a voice for Massachusetts' communities of color in the Legislature and seeks to empower constituents to gain a deeper sense of political awareness on issues concerning them and their greater communities. The MBLLC’s sixteen legislators, including Representative Danillo A. Sena, remain dedicated to serving communities of color throughout the Commonwealth through legislative, budgetary, and community endeavors.
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