Igra Agbor's influence at the University of Utah has not diminished, even though it has been almost two years since her death.
The Nigerian immigrant, children's advocate and former representative for the Governor's Office of Black Affairs is being remembered tonight with the creation of a memorial scholarship fund named in her honor.
The African Resources Forum — a support group Agbor helped establish at the U. in the early 1990s — is working in collaboration with the Office of Black Affairs to raise money for the fund.
A dinner gala will be held at 7:30 p.m. at the Jubilee Center, 309 E. 100 South in Salt Lake City.
"(Agbor) was kind of a personal reminder of African culture for us," said organizer Fal Diabate, who has a master's in business administration from the U.
"I'm originally from the Ivory Coast, but I've been away for quite a while," he said. Immigrants, caught up in trying to acculturate, Diabate said, sometimes forget things about their home.
"When somebody (in the African community in Utah) had a baby, Igra would do whatever she could to make sure it had a baptism in the African way. It's where we announced the name of the kid to everybody and danced. It had some ritual about it. But with her death, all that is missing."
Diabate said there are about 50 African immigrants at the University of Utah, and several others from Weber State University in Ogden, Utah State University in Logan and Brigham Young University in Provo who attend meetings and activities of the African Resources Forum.
Diabate said being a student at the University of Utah can be a lonely experience, especially when you are dealing with culture shock.
"Our group shares experiences, our experiences in this new world," he said.
But the Igra Agbor Scholarship will not be limited to African students.
"Right now, we haven't laid down all the details on the scholarship yet, but we're drafting it so it would available to African and non-African students who are involved in the African community," Diabate said. "So an Asian or Caucasian student who's helping to promote the cause of Africans in the valley would be (eligible)."
Mildred Sparks, director of the Utah Office of Black Affairs, said the scholarship will be a fitting tribute to Agbor's life.
"She genuinely loved people, especially children, and always encouraged them to realize their dreams," Sparks said. "Education is the great equalizer of our society. A good education will enable people to break free from stereotypes and cross socioeconomic borders. We need to give our kids that chance, and supporting this scholarship is one way to do that."
The gala will include an auction and raffle, a fashion show, live African dance performances and African food.
Admission is $10 for adults. Children under 14 are free.
E-mail: mtitze@desnews.com