Young leaders honoured with Lincoln M. Alexander Awards

Lincoln M . Alexander Awards: Saba Oji, Student Award recipient; Talisha Ramsaroop, Community Award recipient; David C. Onley, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, Nathalie Restoule, Student Award recipient; Michael Coteau, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration

On the first official Lincoln Alexander Day in Ontario, the province is honouring three young female leaders with a Lincoln M. Alexander Award.

Each year, the Lincoln M. Alexander Awards are presented to three young people between the ages of 16 and 25, who have demonstrated exemplary leadership in promoting positive social change.

This year’s recipients are:

• Saba Oji of Waterloo, for promoting the inclusion of English as a Second Language (ESL) students into school activities
• Talisha Ramsaroop of Toronto, for her work as a mentor for students battling racial stereotypes in Toronto’s urban core
• Nathalie Restoule of the Dokis First Nation, for her activism in addressing issues of racism among First Nations youth

“Congratulations to the 2013 recipients of the Lincoln M. Alexander Award. These three young women embody what it means to be an active citizen here in Ontario. They show leadership by helping to build a fair and just society for all Ontarians”, said Michael Coteau, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration.

Bill 125 received Royal Assent on Dec. 12, 2013, making January 21 of each year Lincoln Alexander Day in Ontario. The awards were created in 1993 to celebrate the late Lincoln Alexander, the province’s first black Lieutenant Governor and he was Ontario’s first black Member of Parliament. He passed away on Oct.19, 2012