Local teen wins prestigious national women’s award

By Courtney Bachar/The Oshawa Express/LJI Reporter

A local teen has earned a prestigious national women’s award for a song she wrote about the Black Lives Matter movement.

Bolu Adefemi, 13, received the Women of Inspiration 2020 Youth Excellence award through the Universal Women’s Network for the heart-felt song she wrote, Make It Right.

She wrote the song this past summer, which she first performed at an event in Orono in June.

“The song touched a lot of people and it started to spread,” says Adefemi, noting it was everything going on in different parts of the world that inspired her to write the song.

“I wrote the song hoping to touch, whether small or a large amount of people and say, ‘It’s time to make it right, it’s time to spread love.’”

The singer/songwriter has been singing and writing songs since she was little, adding this is her second public song release after writing a song in the spring about COVID-19.

About three months ago, Adefemi learned she was nominated for the Women of Inspiration Awards with the University Women’s Network.

“I was very shocked, very surprised,” she says, adding it was overwhelming in a good way.

“I was not expecting any of this to happen, so when I got the award, I was ecstatic.”

Adefemi learned of her award win during the awards ceremony, which was held virtually on Nov. 14.

“Bolu’s confidence, wisdom and talent is awe-inspiring,” says Monica Kretschmer, founder and CEO of the Universal Women’s Network and Women of Inspiration Awards.

“It’s one thing to realize you have a gift, and another to take action to make it a reality as yet another to have the maturity and wisdom at the age of 12 years old.”

“It was so amazing and so much fun,” says Adefemi, adding she is thankful and grateful to have met so many amazing women throughout this process.

Adefemi has also recently released a music video for the song Make It Right and has plans of writing and recording more songs in the future.

Her parents, Sibusiso and Richard Adefemi, say they are proud of their daughter for speaking up and speaking out.

“The fact that she has come out of her shell to speak out and speak up with love, we’re incredibly proud.”

Adefemi says if there’s one thing she wishes more people would do, it’s speak out.

“I think it’s essential we learn how to use our voices and to voice our opinions,” she says. “I just want everyone to know that they have the right to speak out, spread love, positivity and aspire to inquire – that’s my goal.”