We rarely get an opportunity to toot our own horn, and when we do, we always make sure we are tooting somebody else’s as well; so here we go; this year marks two milestones for WhereItzAt and the B.I.G Awards Gala. WhereItzAt is celebrating 21 years of publishing to, and for the most receptive and appreciative readership, as well as the most loyal advertisers and sponsors we could ever hope for. When the journey began in May of 2003 we never imagined that we would build the lifelong relationships and goodwill that we have. We never imagined that we would learn so much about the needs and aspirations of the communities we serve; the hard work, and enterprise demonstrated by fellow immigrants, and the support and courage of Black Americans who have paved the way for Blacks and people of color from everywhere else. The urban American experience, (though not for the faint of heart) provides a powerful and instructive blueprint as to how America works, either for, or against its citizens. Publishing WhereItzAt expanded our vision and broadened our perspectives to the extent that we saw more clearly the enormous potential of people of color breaking down barriers and building bridges to the future.
The community leaders we met and worked with to expand much needed services in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and Nassau County, did so with purpose, passion and dedication; not to receive accolades, but to make a difference, to create oases that were new and refreshing in their communities. Black doctors started practices, cooks and chefs started restaurants, writers became publishers, clothing designers opened boutiques, attorneys put up their shingles, teachers started schools, as proud hardworking Black folks have made the decision to move from the backstreets and side streets to Mainstreet America. The decades of the 80’s and 90’s saw the emergence of an entrepreneurial class of immigrants and African-Americans ready to share and display their culture, and expertise on main street America, they were chasing the American dream.
WhereItzAt offered itself as the platform for these new voices and performers on the public stage of main street America, we did stories on interesting people and advertised businesses that provided their much-needed services. So, exactly 10 years ago (a decade) after observing first-hand, their hard work, dedication, and commitment to community, we made the decision to begin recognizing, elevating, and honoring those Innovators & Game-Changers who risked their reputations, lifesavings, health, and relative comfort to take the biggest risk of their lives – serving communities that were traditionally undeserved. The Business Innovators & Game-Changers (B.I.G.) Awards Gala is the offspring of WhereItzAt, whose job it is to curate and tell the stories of Black people who have taken their rightful place on main street America. Why do we do this? Because no one else should be entrusted with Ourstory, our image or our destiny. “None but ourselves can free our minds.” Marcus Garvey provided Bob Marley and the Black world those lyrics in a speech he gave in Nova Scotia, Canada on October 1, 1937. Why else do we present the B.I.G. Awards Gala? Because we believe leaders are inspired, and motivated through recognition, we also believe that reward encourages further labor, higher achievement, and a sense of accomplishment among our peers.
Even more profoundly Marcus Garvey mandated that we are obligated to elevate each other, he said, “We must canonize our own Saints, create our own martyrs, and elevate to positions of fame and honor Black men and women who have made their distinct contributions to our racial history.”
Marcus Mosiah Garvey hands down is the most relevant Black philosopher on Black Self-image, and socio-economic self-determination, and despite an unrelenting program by his detractors to silence him, his message and philosophy reverberates even louder today, especially when we curate and present programs like The B.I.G. Awards Gala.
We welcome, salute and elevate the 2024 Class of The B.I.G. Awards Gala, you are among the best of our communities and our country, and we trust that your exemplary work will continue to inspire others to achieve their full potential.
