Press Release - Scholarship Award 2020

Iris Malcolm Memorial Award

The Newmarket African Caribbean Canadian Association is pleased to announce that Natacia Gifford is this year’s recipient of the prestigious Iris Malcolm Memorial Award.

Natacia is an outstanding student who, despite challenging circumstances, inspires us all with her passion for empowering youth and serving her community with incredible devotion. We are excited to support Natacia in achieving her academic and professional goals.

Renowned American poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist Maya Angelou tells us “if you're going to live, leave a legacy. Make a mark on the world that can't be erased.”
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Iris Malcolm was a woman of Jamaican-Canadian descent who exemplified the quiet resistance and forward thinking of Black women in Canada who took on the challenge of raising a family in an environment where discriminatory mechanisms compounded by social and economic stratification placed limits on their aspirations. Undeterred, she persevered, creating her own blue print, putting her stamp on the future by leaving a legacy where the pursuit of academic excellence and the advancement of her community was instilled in her children and grandchildren through the unwavering strength of her character. She made her mark by not only providing the next generation with roots, she also gave them wings.