Science major Lladaneyah Gayle was honoured by Ontario lieutenant governor Edith Dumont for her anti-racism work.
Science undergraduate Lladaneyah Gayle, whose anti-racism work earned her a 2024 Lincoln M. Alexander Award as part of the annual Lieutenant Governors' Legacy Awards Ceremony, says, "I love to help people. Philanthropy is my passion."
The award is given annually to young leaders who have demonstrated exemplary leadership in working to fight racism and discrimination, while promoting equity and inclusion in their communities.
"It is not just a big accomplishment for me, it is a big accomplishment for my parents, and it symbolizes how far I've come. It is also a pusher of what I can do next."
When Gayle moved from Jamaica to Canada at age 10, she had a culture shock. But in recognizing her differences, she set out to inspire others to not feel so alone and she cofounded Windsor's Black Youth Empowerment Program to help racialized youth become entrepreneurs.
"I saw a lot of negatives and it took a toll," says Gayle.
"I had my parents make sure I wasn't crashing but I wanted to ensure other racialized youth would never have to feel that way, so I started the program through the Ontario Trillium Foundation."
The goal, says Gayle, was to empower those youth, through experiential learning, to overcome racism and all the oppression they might face.
She went on to accumulate a vast catalogue of achievements by pursuing volunteer positions, from joining the Greater Essex County District School Board's Black Advisory Student Committee to becoming deputy prime minister in her school's student parliament, to helping start a student ambassador program all of which created high school events revolving around diversity, equity, and inclusion.
"I joined the Black Advisory Student Committee so I could start to mentor others and ensure the school board was equitable for black students," she says.
"What keeps me going is looking at what others can achieve, seeing what I'm able to do and what others are able to do. It's a ripple effect. Making sure that everyone feels included."
The 17-year-old's academic career is just as stellar. In high school she made the honour roll each year and now Gayle is currently in her first semester a studying biochemistry and biomedical science. She has already joined several groups and has her sights set on acquiring a position in a research lab with the goal of going to medical school.
"I want to go into oncology research because I lost a family member to cancer. I know research is really big here and I have friends who are a part of it, and I'd like to be a part of it," she says.
"There's a real sense of community at UWindsor. I'm really happy to be here and I'm smiling all the time."
Each recipient of the Lincoln M. Alexander Award receives a $5,000 cash award and a personalized certificate.
