Uchenna Honored by the Boston City Council

Boston City Council · February 19, 2025

A City Council Honor for Service, Belonging, and Community

During the Boston City Council’s Black History Month celebration, City Councilor Ed Flynn presented Uchenna Obinabo-Mabazza with an Official Resolution recognizing his outstanding service to the Chinatown community and his work creating a culture of welcome at the Wang YMCA.

Recognition rooted in service

Belonging is built one welcome at a time.

This recognition reflects years of work centered on dignity, connection, and the simple but powerful act of making people feel that they have a place in the room.

At the Wang YMCA of Chinatown, Uchenna has helped create an environment where neighbors, families, elders, newcomers, and young people can be seen, supported, and connected to community. That same conviction lives at the heart of the Mabazza Foundation: healing becomes stronger when no one has to travel through it alone.

The official resolution

Commendation from the City of Boston

“A welcoming force at the Wang YMCA, Uchenna fosters belonging, empowers diverse voices, and uplifts the Chinatown community with kindness and dedication.”

The resolution was offered by Boston City Councilor Edward M. Flynn and presented on February 19, 2025, as part of the Council’s annual Black History Month observance.

The honor recognizes not only visible accomplishments, but the quieter architecture of community: consistency, kindness, advocacy, and the willingness to help another person feel at home.

A citywide celebration

Honoring legacy. Making room for the future.

The Boston City Council’s 2025 celebration recognized Black Legacy Leaders and Black Future Leaders for their contributions, resilience, and impact across Boston.

Among the community leaders honored that day were veteran Boston attorney James S. Dilday and Robert Lewis Jr., President and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston.

Each honoree represented a different path of service, yet the shared thread was unmistakable: Boston is shaped by people who turn leadership into something lived, local, and generous.

Where recognition becomes responsibility

The work continues through the Mabazza Foundation.

The Mabazza Foundation carries this spirit forward through artwork, advocacy, and community initiatives that support cancer survivors, caregivers, and people navigating recovery. Recognition is meaningful, but its deepest value is what it asks us to do next: widen the circle, protect dignity, and transform compassion into action.