Guests gather for the 12th annual UFT African-American Heritage Committee Dinner Dance at a Queens catering hall on Feb. 8.

Michaela Dixon, a student at Frederick Douglass Academy, accepts the Armando Blasse Scholarship Award.

Teacher Shameeka Hunter-Tindal of PS 81 in Brooklyn acknowledges applause after accepting the Mary McLeod Bethune Award.

Nina Manning, the treasurer for Local 1930, accepts the Frederick Douglass Award on behalf of Valentin Colon, the president of Local 1930 DC 37 AFSCME and the president of the New York State NAACP Conference.

Trail Blazer Award winner Dwayne Clark, the UFT Manhattan borough representative, expresses his thanks.

UFT Director of Staff LeRoy Barr congratulates Dwayne Clark, who received the Trail Blazer Award.

UFT President Michael Mulgrew gets the party started.

Norma McPherson holds flowers for Shameeka Hunter-Tindal (center), surrounded by well-wishers (from second left) Camille Eaddy, the UFT District 16 representative; Brooklyn Borough Representative Debbie Poulos, Mulgrew; District 28 Representative Angela Artis; and Brooklyn Special Representative Martha Lane.

Award winners Michaela Dixon (holding plaque, left), Shameeka Hunter-Tindal (holding award, center) and Local 1930 Treasurer Nina Manning (right), standing in for Local 1930 President Valentin Colon, with (from left) UFT Director of Staff LeRoy Barr; Anthony Harmon, the chair of the African-American Heritage Committee and assistant to the president; Manhattan Borough Representative Dwayne Clark; Martha Lane, a Brooklyn special representative; City Councilman Daneek Miller; Mulgrew; District 28 Representative Angela Artis and UFT Vice President Karen Alford.