Sema Hadithi African American Heritage and Culture Foundation

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Sema Hadithi African American Heritage and Culture Foundation Sema Hadithi Foundation tells the story of African-ancestored history, heritage, and culture in Utah.

Thank you, Councilmember Chris Wharton, for all your support and for advocating for this history that some deem unwarran...
10/17/2026

Thank you, Councilmember Chris Wharton, for all your support and for advocating for this history that some deem unwarranted of being remembered or known.

2026 WILLIAM & LIZZIE AUSTIN TAYLOR MEDIA RECOGNITION RECIPIENTWINNER: LARA JONES and KRCL 90.9Inaugural Recognition Rec...
10/17/2026

2026 WILLIAM & LIZZIE AUSTIN TAYLOR MEDIA RECOGNITION RECIPIENT
WINNER: LARA JONES and KRCL 90.9

Inaugural Recognition Recipient
Lara Jones, Executive Producer of RadioACTive
KRCL 90.9

For:
Lara Jones and 90.9 have been chosen to receive recognition from the Sema Hadithi African American Heritage & Culture Foundation for their excellence in media, their community engagement, and in drawing a circle wide enough to include all persons and all communities. We recognize you and are grateful for the work you have done that has supported our organization, that has helped to push the truth of Black history in Utah to the forefront out of its previous pit of falsehood, and your help to push Sema Hadithi Foundation forward in the work we do. Your outstanding contributions in acknowledging and being an advocate in pushing forward the rich history of Utah's Black community is exemplary.

You have led the way for all forms of media to follow as you have literally given safe space for all communities to have a voice.

The Recognition Namesake:
William Taylor (1865 – 1907) & Elizabeth Austin Taylor (1874 – 1932)

William & Lizzie owned and ran one of Utah’s Black-owned and Black American-centric newspapers the Utah Plain Dealer. They not only oversaw operations of the Utah Plain Dealer, they traveled outside Utah to get stories to share the latest and newest information with the Black American Community in Utah, wrote the paper’s articles, and represented the paper at functions both in Utah and outside Utah. They made sure to give space for all Black Americans to have a voice. As if this was not enough they also contributed to the building of Utah and making “life elevated” for Black Americans here as Lizzie helped build both Trinity A.M.E. Church and Calvary Baptist Church, participated in the Emancipation Day Celebration, was President of the Utah Chapter of The National Association of Colored Women co-founded by Civil Rights Leader Mary Church, and was active in the Queen Esther Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star (part of the Masons organization). William served as President of the Western Press Association (WPA) and hosted meetings in Salt Lake City, served as Grand Treasurer of the local Black Masonic Grand Lodge, and participated in politics.

Your work in media extends the safe space and place for all communities in Utah to share their voice, thereby teaching all who will listen. This civil rights stance mirrors the work of both William and Elizabeth Taylor.









(Photo taken by Valdez Darris at our 2026 annual Ancestral Remembrance Celebration & Recognition Dinner on Friday 11 September.)

KRCL 90.9FM KRCL RadioActive

Most Impactful Afro Non-Profit of the Year Award 2023
10/12/2026

Most Impactful Afro Non-Profit of the Year Award 2023

Our Heritage Days Chair Emily has been asked to teach a class at the Idaho State University in Pocatello for the Spring ...
10/08/2026

Our Heritage Days Chair Emily has been asked to teach a class at the Idaho State University in Pocatello for the Spring semester. Her class is "Genealogy", which will be about genealogy for historians; teaching historians new skills in research by adding genealogical research skills to their already finely-honed historical research skills. The class begins 11 January 2027 and will be offered both in-person and virtually.

Emily is a magnificent history researcher and often aids and contributes to not only our research but that for several authors and presenters as well as the state of Utah.

Use this link to learn when the classes go live and registration begins, some time in November or December. https://ban9ss1.isos.isu.edu:7781/StudentRegistrationSsb/ssb/registration

CONGRATULATIONS to our Tech Guy Joshua for completing certification and earning his Bachelor of Applied Science in Infor...
10/08/2026

CONGRATULATIONS to our Tech Guy Joshua for completing certification and earning his Bachelor of Applied Science in Information Technology - System Administration from Ensign College of Salt Lake City, UT.

With the heavy load you've carried this year, Josh, you are a true wonder!

We are thankful for his volunteer work with us and proud of him for his continuing to learn and grow.

09/29/2026

Part of our history is that women are not recognized under their own names, during the 1800's even up to 1950's and often even now. Watch this video to learn of one Black American woman who served in the Civil War and whose headstone finally bears her own name. Thank you, Documentary, for taking this trip to Boston to share with us.

2026 ALBERTA HILL HENRY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT RECOGNITION RECIPIENTWINNER: UTAH HISTORICAL SOCIETY and MUSEUM OF UTAHInau...
09/27/2026

2026 ALBERTA HILL HENRY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT RECOGNITION RECIPIENT

WINNER: UTAH HISTORICAL SOCIETY and MUSEUM OF UTAH
Inaugural Recognition Recipient

Recipients
Jennifer Ortiz, President, Utah Historical Society
Tim Glenn, Director, Museum of Utah
Holly Andrew, Exhibition Manager, Museum of Utah
Jami Van Huss, “The Past is Personal” temporary exhibit,
Guest Curator

Accepting on behalf of recipients:
Tim Glenn, Holly Andrew, and Kevin Fayles
(pictured with our Executive Director)

For:
Their outstanding contributions in acknowledging and being an advocate in pushing forward the rich history of Utah's Black community in the historic new Museum of Utah., by choosing to tell the fullness of a story in their exhibits they have given a real example to truly be inclusive to all and how to tell the stories of all peoples in Utah by doing a “pulling together of communities” within each story they have chosen for exhibits. They could have chosen to segregate each community. They chose to NOT to do the exhibits in that manner.
Their work is community engagement in its encircling of everyone and forming a new circle, thereby saying to all residents and visitors “Everyone is welcome here because everyone belongs here.”

The Recognition Namesake:
ALBERTA HILL HENRY (1920-2005)

Alberta Hill Henry was a mighty force in community engagement in Utah’s history. She saw gaps and worked to fill them that the Black American Community in Utah would be equal in resources to White Americans living here. She did this by creating a scholarship at the University of Utah thus aiding hundreds of Black American students to receive higher education and graduate with degrees, helping found drill teams at the University of Utah, being the first Black American employed by the Salt Lake City School District in 1972 where she was the liaison for Black American families, serving on the State of Utah Black Affairs Advisory Council through which she helped improve the quality of life for Black Americans living in Utah and improved communication between state leaders and the Black American Community.









(Photo taken by Valdez Darris at our 2026 annual Ancestral Remembrance Celebration & Recognition Dinner on Friday 11 September.)

09/25/2026

Thank you, J.R. for making this video for Emancipation Day.

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West Valley City, UT
84128

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