Registration Form
Harlem dentist and businessman Dr. Enrique A. Riggs was born on June 3, 1943, in Panama City, Panama, to Winifred and Eric Riggs. Riggs is an active member of several civic organizations and the Army Reserve.
After earning his B.A. in psychology from Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, Riggs enlisted in the Army Reserve in 1968, rising to the rank of colonel in the Dental Corps. He earned his master's degree in counseling from the State University of New York at Albany in 1971, and in 1978 he received his degree in clinical dentistry from Howard University. Since 1978, Riggs has been in private practice in Harlem at an office he owns with his wife. Riggs was a co-founder in 1983 of the Small Business Stock Exchange of America, providing growing and emerging companies with expansion capital. He earned an M.B.A. in finance from Iona College in 1997 with a certificate in international business.
Since 1995, Riggs has served as a military academy liaison at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He is responsible for recruiting cadets from the New York area and minority cadets from the nation at large. Following the World Trade Center attacks on September 11, 2001, Riggs used his professional expertise to examine dental records and help identify victims at Ground Zero. In 2002, the U.S. Army Dental Command appointed Riggs North Atlantic Region Dental Commander in the U.S. Army Reserve.
Riggs has been active in a number of other civic and professional organizations, including the 100 Black Men, the American Association of Securities Dealers and the American Dental Association. He sits on the Boulé Foundation Board. He and his wife, Dr. Carol Morales, were married in 1983 and have one daughter, Myra Christine. Riggs lives with his family in White Plains, New York.
Lamman Rucker is an Actor, Educator, Activist and Entrepreneur who’s career platform has been used to influence, educate and ignite communities through artistic and academic innovation. Rucker currently stars in the upcoming, long-awaited threequel return of Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married Again as the beloved “Sheriff Troy”, a role he is best known for along with “Jacob Greenleaf” on OWN’s hit drama series, Greenleaf and “Will” on hit film/sitcom Meet The Browns. Rucker is maintaining a powerful small and large screen presence in films such Lifetime Television’s Christmas Everyday alongside Grammy singer Brandy, Terror Lake Drive (ALLBLK), Bad Dad Rehab (TV One), Cooking Up Christmas (OWN), The Man in 3B and Black Coffee (Netflix) ; UPtv’s Where is The Love as well as feature film Service to Man. Beyond film, his award-winning acting range has spanned Off-Broadway theater as well as television such as Black Angels Over Tuskegee, Half and Half, WEtv’s South of Hell, As The World Turns and All My Children. A passionate Activist; Rucker has relentlessly advocated for social justice, community empower ment, health and black male initiatives since his youth. He is a spokesperson for several charita ble efforts and community action initiatives including the American Heart Association, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Association of Black Cardiologists, The Black AIDS Institute, BMe Com munity, The Magic Johnson Foundation, Just Heal, Bro mental health tour and his non-profit The Black Gents; an all male ensemble of actors driven to resurrect the positive images of black males through thought-provoking high quality entertainment, youth empowerment initiatives and com munity service. A prolific speaker and moderator, Lamman has embraced the international speaking circuit for countless corporate conferences, university commencements and masterclasses; marketing campaigns and non-profit initiatives. With a master’s in education, four honorary doctorates and as a former high school teacher; Rucker especially dedicates substantive resources to youth empowerment using his teaching gift in educational capacities. He has contributed to several “edu-tain ment” movements that empower and inspire while educating and has recently contributed to best-selling book REACH: 40 Black Men Speak on Living, Leading, and Succeeding. His sensitivity for community and prowess in business, the arts, and life skills has established him as a credible voice while building a significant legacy for this generation and those to come.
Roxanne Shanté is a legendary American hip-hop pioneer, battle rap icon, and broadcaster who made history as the first solo female rapper to receive the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Emerging from New York's Queensbridge Projects,
Shanté revolutionized the genre in 1984 at just 14 years old with her explosive freestyle track "Roxanne's Revenge"—widely recognized as rap's first major diss record. As a founding member of Marley Marl’s legendary Juice Crew, she ignited the historic "Roxanne Wars" and shattered gender barriers, proving women could dominate the male-dominated battle rap arena with unmatched lyricism and fiercer competitiveness. Beyond her foundational music career, Shanté has built a multi-decade legacy as a powerful media personality, advocate, and mentor.
Core Accomplishments & Career Highlights
• Grammy History: Honored with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2025 Recording Academy Special Merit Awards, cementing her status as a foundational pillar of hip-hop culture.
• Industry Trailblazer: Crowned the "Queen of Rap" by The New York Times, her fearless style paved the direct path for subsequent generations of icons like MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, Missy Elliott, and Nicki Minaj.
• Major Industry Awards: Recipient of the NAACP Legacy Award (2023) and the Hip-Hop Grndmaster Award from the Paid in Full Foundation (2024), which honored her with a $1 million payout for her early contributions to the culture.
• Broadcasting Excellence: Won the 2024 Cynopsis Top Women In Media Award for 'Game Changing On-Air Talent'. She currently hosts the popular show "Have a Nice Day with Roxanne Shanté" on LL Cool J’s SiriusXM channel, 7 million listeners per day.
• Biopic Adaptation: Her tumultuous and inspiring life story was adapted into the critically acclaimed Netflix biopic Roxanne Roxanne (2017), co-produced by Forest Whitaker and Pharrell Williams.
• Philanthropy & Advocacy: Serves as a motivational speaker, breast cancer survivor advocate, and the co-leader of an education nonprofit dedicated to supporting and mentoring youth.
Sandra Bookman is co-anchor of Eyewitness News at Noon and WABC Public Affairs show, Here and Now.
The veteran journalist joined Eyewitness News in 1998 as a reporter and shortly after was named as a weekend anchor of Eyewitness News. Previously, she worked at WSB-TV in Atlanta, another dominant ABC affiliate, where she worked for nine years and served as the weekend anchor.
Prior to WSB-TV, she worked as a weekend anchor at both WRAL-TV in Raleigh, North Carolina and KFDM-TV in Beaumont, Texas.
Sandra served as an Olympic Reporter for seven years. She was the only local TV reporter to cover the games from before Atlanta won the bid, until the Olympic bombing in 1996. Sandra covered the '92 games in Barcelona, Spain as well.
She has also reported internationally, including a series of reports from South Africa following the release of Nelson Mandela from a South African prison in 1990.
Sandra has been honored with nine local Emmys including statues for her Olympic coverage and reporting in the aftermath of the fatal Valuejet Airlines crash in the Everglades.
She graduated from the University of Texas with a B.A. in Journalism.
Elijah Westbrook is a three-time Emmy Award-winning journalist and morning news reporter for CBS News New York, where he serves as one of the station’s leading transportation and breaking news reporters.
Born and raised in Harlem, Elijah is a proud product of the community and considers it both an honor and a responsibility to tell stories that impact the lives of New Yorkers.
As a reporter for CBS News New York, Elijah has become a trusted voice for viewers across the Tri-State Area. He joined CBS News New York in January 2022, returning home to report in the city that inspired his love for journalism. A graduate of Quinnipiac University, he began his career at “CBS Mornings” before moving into local television news. His reporting career has taken him from Rochester, New York, where he covered major weather events, politics, and high-profile court cases, to Baltimore, Maryland, where he exposed government corruption, covered historic social justice movements, and earned his first Emmy Award for live reporting during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests.
Despite reporting across some of the nation’s largest media markets, Harlem remains at the center of Elijah’s story. He is deeply committed to giving back to the neighborhood that raised him and is passionate about supporting initiatives that promote health equity, education, economic opportunity, and community empowerment.
Today, Elijah continues to wake up before most of New York, bringing viewers the stories that matter most from the first breaking news alerts of the morning to the transportation issues that shape how millions of people move throughout the region. He is honored to be part of Harlem Week and to celebrate the strength, resilience, and future of the community he proudly calls home.
Dr. Michael H. Forde, DrPH, MSPH is a public health expert, storyteller, and nationally recognized leader in health equity. For more than a decade, he has worked at the intersection of strategy, culture, and data - advancing initiatives that reduce disparities, strengthen community trust, and expand access to care. Drawing on his experience leading statewide initiatives, Dr. Forde advances programs that improve outcomes for patient populations and historically marginalized communities. His work integrates evidence-based practice, policy insight, and cultural understanding to ensure that equity isn’t a specialty - it’s a standard. Dr. Forde's impact extends beyond institutions. A Gates Millennium Scholar, Webby Honoree, 2-time Communicator Award Winner, 3-time Telly Award Winner, and 3-time 40 Under 40 recipient, he brings national recognition to every room he enters. Through digital storytelling, he has built a growing community of over 500,000 followers and millions of views across all platforms - using his signature tagline, “Healing starts with knowing,” to uncover the untold stories of Black health and medicine. His content connects historical truths to modern realities, bridging scholarship and social media to make public health accessible, personal, and powerful. Dr. Forde has been featured by TV networks, online platforms, and has collaborated with cultural and professional organizations. His work continues to shape conversations on health justice, cultural competence, and the power of narrative in achieving systemic change. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Science from Southern Adventist University, a Master of Science in Public Health from Campbell University, and a Doctor of Public Health from The George Washington University. Known for his insight and authenticity, Dr. Forde has been invited to speak at numerous national conferences and cultural events. He believes that data, compassion, and accountability are the foundation of lasting change - and that healing begins when truth is told.
DaShaun Johnson, also known as THE GURU OF ABS in the fitness industry, is a native of Decatur, Ga who passion for fitness began 11 years ago when he landed a job at LA fitness in Atlanta, GA. It was then that he realized he was destined be a group fitness instructor and personal trainer who would change people’s lives for the better through fitness and nutrition. After much hard work and dedication, he was presented with his first big opportunity to be a sponsored Nike Training Club (NTC) instructor.
Today, DaShaun focuses on his new all-natural dietary supplement line and tours the country offering innovative Body Sculpting programs that has helped transform the physiques of people all over the world. His body sculpting programs include a seated exercise program designed specifically for senior citizens titled Senior Body Sculpting which has been featured on local and national news stations such as Fox 5 Atlanta News and CNN Headline News (HLN). DaShaun also offers a 360 Body Sculpting for anyone desiring to focus on strength training and weight loss and his latest innovative creation, Sculpt-In-42 Body Sculpting Online Training Program that will feature instructional, LIVE classes & workouts.
Recognized as one of the BEST abdominal specialists in the fitness industry, DaShaun continues to be a pillar of positive change in the fitness community, motivating his clients to be the very BEST versions of themselves while following his lead.
Audra Pitter is a registered nurse and Rare Kidney Disease Educator with Travere Therapeutics.
With over 20 years of experience in nursing and healthcare education, she is deeply committed to raising awareness about rare kidney diseases, especially FSGS—a condition that disproportionately affects the Black community.
At the heart of Audra’s work is a passion for meeting people where they are—helping patients and caregivers better understand their diagnosis, ask the right questions, and feel more confident navigating their care.
She believes that education, paired with community connection, can truly be life changing.
Fun fact: Audra is also a two-time Emmy Award winner, reflecting her love of storytelling and meaningful connection.
Sue has a background in nursing and has worked in the healthcare industry for 22 years, with the last 12 years spent as a patient educator and pharmaceutical liaison. Her experiences have provided her with a broader perspective on the great need for disease education. She was inspired to become an Alnylam Patient Education Liaison (PEL) when she learned that she could help educate patients and their families and raise awareness of ATTR amyloidosis.
PELs are employees of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals. They are not acting as healthcare providers and are not part of your healthcare team. PELs do not provide medical care or advice. All diagnosis and treatment decisions should be made by you and your doctor.
Paul currently lives in Colorado, where he moved sight unseen decades ago to pursue higher education. He met his lovely wife at college, and they have two children who are now all grown up and have flown the nest. As a pastor, Paul is passionate about helping others and being someone people can depend on. He approaches everything life throws at him with a positive attitude, and he sees his diagnosis of hereditary ATTR amyloidosis as something that gives him purpose. Paul feels it is his duty to share his experiences in the hopes that his journey can help someone else through theirs. He’s here to share his story, offering hope and encouragement to others living with this disease.
Samantha is a Senior Field Medical Director on the Thoracic Oncology team at Pfizer. A pharmacist by training, she supports clinical trial research for lung and head and neck cancers and provides medical education to physicians, nurses, and pharmacists who care for patients with lung cancer in New York and Northern New Jersey.
Yadira Garcia is a trained Natural-foods Chef and certified Integrative Health Coach of Dominican descent, raised in the South Bronx, NYC. She channels her culinary and community-driven expertise as a Chef, Educator, Activist, Speaker and business owner through her platform, Happy Healthy Latina, INC., addressing ancestral food preservation, food sovereignty, nutrition education, and health inequities in New York City. She is also currently the Director of Programs and Innovation at Corbin Hill Food Project. With almost a decade of experience, Yadira has collaborated with a wide range of clients, including community-based organizations, nonprofits, private universities, NYC public schools, urban farms, and corporations. Her work focuses on culturally relevant cooking, nutrition education, food justice, curriculum development, workforce program creation and a culturally conscious product line.
Recognized in 2018 as one of Hunter Food Policy Center’s “Top 40 Under 40” in food justice, she serves on the NYC Nutrition Exchange Board at Columbia University’s Teachers College and was a key member of NYC’s first nutrition education coalition, helping pass significant legislation on food equity and nutrition in public schools. She has been invited to speak at prestigious institutions such as NYU, Columbia University, Ithaca College, University of Albany, and more, where she shares her passion for heritage-based cooking and access to local food. In 2020, she became a partner and Head Chef & Product Developer at Loisa, a Caribbean spice company, where she launched her signature blends—A sofrito line,, organic Adobo, and Sazon. These award winning marinades are now available nationwide through major retailers like Whole Foods , Wegmans, Sprouts and Target.
Her vibrant personality and delicious recipes have been featured on national platforms like The Dr. Oz Show, The Chew, NBC, the Today Show, Refinery29, Martha Stewart, The New York Times, and more. Online, she hosts Healthy Cocina, a show produced by Zoe Saldana for Tastemade and Buzzfeed, showcasing plant-based cooking for picky eaters with millions of views. Her latest show, Naturally Yadi, aired on Discovery Digital and Food Network in 2022, where she teaches viewers how to cook with local, seasonal produce sourced from urban farms. Chef Yadira continues to drive socially conscious, mission-aligned initiatives that promote food access, sovereignty, and social justice that are deeply rooted in cultural pride and history.
Marko Nobles is an experienced professional in the fields of radio, public relations, marketing, event production and entertainment. A self-described “Child of HARLEM WEEK,” he has been involved in the festival for over 40 years – beginning as a summer youth worker, as an intern, then working in public relations, serving as director of public relations, executive director, board member, and most recently, chairman of the board of directors.
Nobles also owns and operates internet radio station RhythmAndSoulRadio.com, which for almost 20 years has been a home to independent music and independent artists.
Winston Majette is the Executive Director & Board Member of The Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce (GHCC), and HARLEM WEEK, Inc.
GHCC is the oldest continuous business/civic organization in Upper Manhattan. Their primary focus is on improving business/economic development, revitalization, and quality of life issues in the Upper Manhattan area with specific emphasis on the needs of the business, educational, cultural, tourism, civic and sectors professional.
HARLEM WEEK, Inc. is a 52-year old festival featuring arts, cultural, music events. Majette has served as senior coordinator for the NYC Economic Development Conference, NYC Senior Citizens Day, 2-Day NYC Children’s Festival, NYC Health Fair, sports events including the New York Road Runners Track & Field Clinics, John McEnroe Youth & Family Tennis Clinics and more. He has also served, for the past 15 years, as the Senior Coordinator of the Higher Education Fair & Expo during the HARLEM WEEK FESTIVAL.
Prior to GHCC, Majette spent 4 years at the Children’s Aid Society. He served as Director of the Taft Learning Center, following tenures as program director - where he created day, after-school and evening programs in computer technology, arts, English, history and writing for ages 7 years old to Adult – and technology teacher, where he created programs in computer technology for ages 7 years old to Adult.
Always passionate about service, and advocating for his community, Majette spent ten years as a Manhattan Community Board 9 member, where he was the chairperson of the youth, education and libraries committee.
Padmore John serves as the Assistant Commissioner of Bureau of Harlem Neighborhood Health, having served as the Acting Assistant Commissioner since April 2021, and has been the Harlem Bureau since 2016. He first started at the Health Department in 2008 as a grants manager, becoming a Sr. Manager of grants and contracts, for the Hospital Emergency Preparedness Program, supporting the preparedness, response and recovery of NYC healthcare institutions to man-made or natural emergency. He has a long history of involvement with local community initiatives, community boards, and community-based organizations.
Padmore has been instrumental in supporting place-based and community-informed processes, both during the COVID-19 pandemic and before. His passion for East and Central Harlem is evident in the work he does with Health Department teams and community partners. He is a 30-year resident of Harlem and lives with his wife Beejhy Barhany, chef and owner of Tsion Café, their 2 kids - Alem and Berhan, and dog Lucy.
Maurice D. Hinson, MD is the Founder & Executive Director of MediRootz Medical Group, a telehealth based primary care practice specializing in providing equitable access to high value primary care. Dr. Hinson received his BA in Neuroscience from Johns Hopkins University, his Medical Degree from Drexel University College of Medicine, and completed his residency in Internal Medicine at NewYork Presbyterian Weill Cornell. Dr. Hinson is also Founder & Advisor of the Black and Latino Men in Medicine, a network of students, trainees, faculty, and hospital administrators created to combat the precipitous decline of Black and Hispanic male physicians.
Dr. Hinson is the recipient of numerous research awards, the 2015 Excellence in Public award by the U.S. Public Health Task Force, 2020 Drexel University 40 under 40, and was recently inducted as a Fellow in the New York Academy of Medicine. His most recent academic interests involve the clinical application of cannabis for the prevention and management of chronic disorders like obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, anxiety, depression, and dementia.
