MUSKEGON, Mich — It's always nice to recognize someone for their hard work. But until Muskegon Young Black Professionals formed, founder and board chair Jocelyn Hines says there wasn't an opportunity in Muskegon County to acknowledge Black professionals specifically. That changed when the organization started holding its "Shades of Excellence" awards.
"We give out between 10 and 12 awards every single year for deserving professionals in Muskegon County, whether they're proficient in their career paths, community development, or just very good community members. We try to provide opportunities to honor and recognize Black professionals here in our community," she said.
"We're here. We exist. We want to be recognized and celebrated for all of our achievements, understanding that we're often one of one in various roles that we play in community, whether it's in the boardroom or in our workplaces or serving in community. So we want to be able to honor and recognize those people who may feel invisible here in Muskegon County."
The ceremony is also the biggest fundraiser of the year for Muskegon Black Professionals, which offers programming free of charge to the community.
"We want to help people grow and thrive in this community. We understand professional development is important for us to advance in our careers, or to serve on boards and committees," Hines said.
Shades of Excellence is now in its fourth year and organizers have seen noticeable growth over the years.
"We started off thinking maybe 75 to 100 people may show up to our event. Now we're close to 250 people that are able to attend our event every single year. So we're really excited and honored and really glad that people a want to support our organization and a want to support the recipients that will be receiving awards too. We're extremely grateful for our sponsors and the people that attend our events," Hines said.
This year's Shades of Excellence awards are being held on Saturday, Nov. 9 at The Folkert Community Hub on Seminole Road. You can buy tickets online through 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 1. If you can't make the event, but would like to support Muskegon Young Black Professionals, you can follow their Facebook page.