It all began in 1989. Duquesne Light began sponsoring the Black History Month Awards to showcase extraordinary accomplishments of those people and organizations positively affecting the success of the African-American community in western Pennsylvania.

In 2001, WQED joined forces with Duquesne Light and began hosting the awards. On Feb. 25 as Black History Month came to a close, WQED presented the annual Duquesne Light Black History Celebration.

ALL SMILES—From left: Jayne Adair, George Miles (WQED president and CEO), Minette Seate (WQED) and Joey Vallarian (Duquesne Light).

The festivities took place on the set of long-running WQED shows like “Black Horizons” and “OffQ” and most appropriately, Chris Moore (“Black Horizons” and “OffQ” host) was the emcee for the evening.

Each year four outstanding African-American leadership awards are presented in the categories of arts, culture and recreation; civic, community and humanitarian; business and government; and education.

 Also, four local high school students with exemplary academic and community service achievements are each honored with $5,000 scholarships from Duquesne Light.

This year’s honorees for the African-American Leadership Awards: August Wilson Center for African American Culture (Arts, Culture, Recreation), Rev. Glenn G. Grayson, senior pastor/Wesley Center African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church (Civic, Community, Humanitarian), Yvonne Cook, president, Highmark Foundation and vice president of Community and Health Initiatives, Highmark, Inc. (Business/Government) and Imani Christian Academy (Education).

The 2008 Duquesne Light Scholarship awardees were selected from Three Rivers Youth: Kemar Leamy (Mt. Lebanon High School), Talisa Barnes (Peters Township High School), Corranda Cain (Oliver High School) and Riccubono Cobia (Mt. Lebanon High School). Each student had to submit an essay on how they would improve the community.

WQED’s Emmy Award-winning Moore interviewed the awardees live from the studio during the reception for that evening’s “OnQ” live broadcast.

The awardees were also featured in television messages on WQED-TV, in Pittsburgh Magazine, on WQED Interactive at www.wqed.org and in a segment of “OnQ.”

WQED Pittsburgh, honored with the 2007 and 2006 Mid-Atlantic Emmy Award for Station Excellence  was founded in 1954 as the nation’s first community supported broadcaster.