African American Irish Diaspora Network to host its Inaugural Diaspora Leadership Awards Gala

The African American Irish Diaspora Network (AAIDN) will host its inaugural awards gala on September 29, 2022, in New York City.

Save the date for the African American Irish Diaspora Network's Inaugrual Diaspora Leadership Awards Gala on September 29 at Manhattan Manor in New York City.

The proceeds from the inaugural gala will fund AAIDN's scholarships in education and economic empowerment.

The honorees of the AAIDN's 2022 Inaugural Diaspora Leadership Awards Gala include:

• Mary McAleese, Former President of Ireland and Chancellor of Trinity College, Dublin, who will receive the Frederick Douglass - Daniel O'Connell Social Justice Award
• John Samuelsen, International President of the Transportation Workers Union, who will receive the John Lewis - John Hume Leadership Award
• Fionnghuala "Fig" O'Reilly, 2019 Miss Universe Ireland, NASA Datanaut and executive director of the NASA Space Apps challenge, who will receive the AAIDN Heritage and Diaspora Spirit Award
• Henry Louis "Skip" Gates, Jr, professor at Harvard University, historian and executive producer of "Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis, Jr."

2022 honorees.

Reservations for the Inaugural Diaspora Leadership Awards Gala can now be made online via the African American Irish Diaspora Network. Several sponsorship opportunities are also available. 

About the African American Irish Diaspora Network

The mission of the African American Irish Diaspora Network is to foster affirmative relationships between African Americans and Ireland through shared heritage and culture.

It is estimated that roughly a third of African Americans have some Irish ancestry, and AAIDN is working to build a community through which Irish and African Americans can connect not only through that ancestry, but also via other affinities to work for peace, human rights, and economic empowerment for people throughout the world.

Economic Development through Entrepreneurship: AAIDN is establishing internships with Irish companies and establishing collaborations between African American entrepreneurs and Irish technology innovators and investors, and scholarships with graduate schools of business.

Social Justice and Civil Rights: Building on the historic legacies of Frederick Douglass and Daniel O’Connell, and John Lewis and John Hume, AAIDN is funding scholarships to African American students to study in Ireland in areas of history, social justice, equity, and inclusion.

You can learn more about the African American Irish Diaspora Network, a 501 (c) (3) organization, on its website.