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.

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.

2026 DR. CHARLES JAMES NABORS STEM & RESEARCH RECOGNITION RECIPIENTDR. WILLIAM SMITH Inaugural Recognition RecipientFor:...
09/24/2026

2026 DR. CHARLES JAMES NABORS STEM & RESEARCH RECOGNITION RECIPIENT

DR. WILLIAM SMITH
Inaugural Recognition Recipient

For:
His advancement in the field of science.
His work in mental health, his pioneering research and discovery of Racial Battle Fatigue, his continued work in Racial Battle Fatigue that supports and benefits all persons within the Black Communities, and his work to normalize mental health and advance mental health justice which blesses us of the Black African Diaspora in Utah and in the United States, as well as many others in our country. For one to come forward to not simply instruct us on what needs to be done to overcome this but to make inroads in the mental health profession to treat this as a real disorder, is of significant benefit and impact upon us to create better and stronger lives.

The Recognition Namesake:
Dr. Charles James Nabors (1934-1986)

Dr. Nabors was appointed the Assistant Dean for Minority Affairs in the University Of Utah School Of Medicine, the first Black American to have such an appointment at any Utah university. He worked to raise awareness regarding racial discrimination. He is part of Utah’s Black history for his advancements in the field of science.






2026 ABNER LEONARD HOWELL SPORTS RECOGNITION RECIPIENT"Game Changers: AJ Dybantsa, BYU, and the Struggle for the Soul of...
09/23/2026

2026 ABNER LEONARD HOWELL SPORTS RECOGNITION RECIPIENT

"Game Changers: AJ Dybantsa, BYU, and the Struggle for the Soul of Basketball" book
Inaugural Recognition Recipient

Recipients
Publisher: Signature Books
Authors: Matt Bowman & Wayne LeCheminant
Basketball Star: A.J. Dybantsa
Accepting on behalf of recipients: Beth Brumer-Reeve with Signature Books

For:
This extraordinary sports book "Game Changers: A.J. Dybantsa, BYU, and the Struggle for the Soul of Basketball", the exploration of the update and remarkably-changing sport of basketball that puts a Black American man at the center of the changing game, and for the celebration of the excellence of A.J. Dybantsa as a basketball player.

The Recognition Namesake:

(Abner Leonard Howell, 1877-1966)
In 1900 while attending Salt Lake City High School, Abner Leonard Howell led his team to a 32-0 victory against East Denver (Colorado) High. Mr. Howell was a star athlete in Utah whose accomplishments were largely ignored during the peak of his football career because he was a Black American man.

Mr. Howell was an extraordinary football player from Utah’s history who did not receive recognition for his exceptional athleticism and we hope with this recognition bearing his name going forth we will repair some of what he never received because everyone receiving this recognition will be exceptional athletes as was he who are due their commendation.

Signature Books
Barbara Jones Brown







Address

West Valley City, UT
84128

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