Fiqir Worku of Waterloo has been named a recipient of the Lincoln M. Alexander Award for her work to eliminate racial discrimination and promote both inclusivity and social equality.

Worku, 22, served as vice president of the University of Waterloo Black Association for Student Expression (BASE). The group has now developed UW RAISE (Racial Advocacy for Inclusion, Solidarity and Equity).

In a post on its Facebook page, BASE congratulated Worku on the award.

"Her work, along with previous UWBASE members, has created the newest service at the University of Waterloo UW RAISE to address racism on campus," it said.

Worku posted on Facebook she's "grateful to the incredible people that help make incredible things happen."

'We didn't feel that we had to justify ourselves'

In Nov. 2017, Worku told CBC Kitchener-Waterloo about her work on campus to address the needs of black students. The school told her before they could help, BASE needed to assess the need on campus themselves.

"We didn't feel that we had to justify ourselves and our need," Worku said, noting it was frustrating to hear from school administration. Because the group only receives $75 a semester to operate, Worku said it "wasn't a feasible task" for them.

Worku said BASE wanted to see more sensitivity training for faculty, staff and administration; better counselling services for black students, and more representation, both in the courses taught at the school as well as in the faculty.

"Recognizing that students of colour do walk on campus, do experience campus differently, is not necessarily a bad thing and so I feel like services placed to support those students would be great," she said.

Lincoln Alexander was Ontario's first black lieutenant governor, the first black member of parliament and the first black federal cabinet minister. The award in his name is given to three young people each year who show leadership in promoting positive change.