The African Hall Committee of the Springfield Museums is pleased to announce the recipients of the prestigious Ubora Award and Ahadi Youth Award, which will be presented at a special ceremony at the Museums on Saturday, September 21, at 6 pm.
Rosemary Tracy Woods, Executive Director of Art for the Soul Gallery, is this year’s Ubora Award recipient, and Jackson Counsel-Watkins, a 2024 graduate of Central High School who is now a freshman at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, was chosen for the Ahadi Youth Award.
“This is an exciting opportunity to celebrate a phenomenal community leader and an outstanding scholar,” says Terry Powe, chair of the African Hall Committee. “Celebrate culture and excellence with us. This is an exceptional evening you do not want to miss!”
Named for the Swahili word meaning “excellence,” the Ubora Award has been awarded annually since 1992 to an African American adult who has demonstrated a commitment to Greater Springfield and has exhibited excellence in the fields of community service, education, science, humanities, or the arts. Rosemary Tracy Woods is known throughout New England as a passionate advocate for social justice. In her role at Art for the Soul, Ms. Woods has championed the transformative power of artistic expression, particularly for African American and Latinx communities, Native American artists, and those with disabilities like the visually and hearing impaired.
For Ms. Woods, art is more than creativity; it’s a tool for social change. She has curated groundbreaking exhibitions such as Dr. Imo Nse Imeh’s provocative Ten Little N**** Girls (2015), celebrated the heritage of 7th Generation: Contemporary Native American Artists of the 21st Century (2017), and explored cultural roots in Roots/Raíces (2020).
Beyond exhibitions, Ms. Woods collaborates extensively with local and state cultural councils, cementing her role as a catalyst for arts advocacy. Her accolades, including Governor Deval Patrick’s appointment as Advocate for the Arts in western MA and numerous prestigious awards like the 2021 Newell Flather Awards and the 2024 Pan African Historical Museum Legacy Award, underscore her impact. She was appointed the Western Massachusetts coordinator for the Creative Economy, with the assistance of the Springfield City Council, and aided Former Executive Director of the MASS Cultural Council, Anita Walker, in establishing the first Cultural District in Western Massachusetts.
In every initiative, Ms. Woods exemplifies how art can drive meaningful social change and empowerment. Her journey is not just a career but a lifelong commitment to ensuring the arts are a vibrant and inclusive space for all.
Jackson Counsel-Watkins was selected as the Ahadi Youth Award recipient, given since 2009 to an African American student (age 19 or younger) who embodies the Swahili word for “promise” and excels both in academics and service to the Greater Springfield community. She received the news at a church service, a surprise made even more special by being surrounded by members of the community whom she has long admired.
An outstanding student with a GPA of 4.0, Jackson pursued a rigorous course load in high school, including AP English, AP History, AP Chemistry, Statics, and African American History just to name a few. She was also a member of the Track and Field Team and the Cheerleading squad, showcasing the discipline, teamwork, and determination that extends into every aspect of her life.
Jackson is the co-founder of Central High School’s Black Student Union and served as its first president. In this role, she fostered an environment of inclusivity and empowerment for her peers. She was a two-year member of the Hampden County District Attorney Youth Advisory Board, Teen President of the Western MA Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, and a member of the National Honors Society (NHS).
At UMass Amherst, Jackson plans to major in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences with the goal of becoming a speech-language pathologist. She credits her mother with inspiring her to work hard, be kind, and help others.
The African Hall Committee of the Springfield Museums is a volunteer group comprising educators, businesspeople, and leaders from the Black community. In 2023, the recipient of the Ubora Award was Lisa J. Green, PhD, a Distinguished Professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Catherine Thompson was the recipient of the Ahadi Youth Award.
Sponsored by Baystate Health, the 2024 Ubora and Ahadi Awards Ceremony is open to the public; to purchase tickets or donate to the Ahadi Scholarship Fund, visit SpringfieldMuseums.org/ubora.
MassMutual is the season sponsor of the Springfield Museums.