MEET THE WINNERS OF THE 2022 LIVING COLOR AWARDS.

• Author: Malan, Mekenna
• Position: AWARDS

In partnership with Living Color Utah, our third annual Living Color Gala honors the individuals and organizations who are working toward a more equitable and inclusive future for our state. Congratulations to this year's inspiring honorees.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

NICKOLIS ARTEAGA PREVENTION COORDINATOR | UTAH COALITION AGAINST SEXUAL ASSAULT (UCASA)

in /IN/NICK-ARTEAGA-BA0295227/

Who inspires you most? Why? I inspire myself. All of the adversity I have faced has strengthened me, and I take pride in all of my work and progress that I have accomplished as a multiply marginalized and historically excluded individual. I am a fat, queer, neurodiverse, transmasculine, nonbinary person of color/Chicanx, and I am proud of it.

EMILIO MANUEL CAMU DIRECTOR I OCA ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN ADVOCATES FIRST-GEN SCHOLARS ADVISOR | UNIVERSITY OF UTAH

in /IN/EMILIOMANUELCAMU/

What would you like to see in terms of DE&I efforts in Utah? I would love for our first-gen, Asian, and Pacific Islander communities to just "be"--be the individuals and communities we are, where diversity and inclusion efforts aren't centered on helping first-gen Asians and Pacific Islanders "survive" and having to celebrate "resilience." I'd love for us to move beyond representation for the sake of diversity and inclusion and for our Utah community to be rooted in inclusion and diversity.

AMIR A.H. JACKSON FOUNDING DIRECTOR | NURTURE THE CREATIVE MIND

in /IN/AMIR-JACKSON-A93B7730/

What is your favorite part of your job? My favorite part of my purpose (I don't view it as a job) is being able to plant seeds of belief with people, young and old, and helping them see and believe in themselves and their potential. Having the opportunity to witness those seeds blossom into trees that have the potential to bear fruit for others to benefit from it is quite a blessing.

What do you look forward to achieving? I often think about achievement with a reflective mindset. When looking back on my life, I would like to be able to say that I did what I could to leave the world better than I found it. To know to a degree of certainty that I did my best to honor and positively represent God above and was an example of the power and benefits of goodness would bring me immense joy, satisfaction, and peace.

MERINE VIDA TU'ITAMA'ALELAGI HAFOKA

DIRECTOR | MALIALOLE POLYNESIAN CULTURAL ARTS ENSEMBLE

What organizations do you find it most important to support? Why? The National Tongan American Society, Anwhut One-Stop Shop, Alofa Fa'aSamoa, Langi Creations, Pacific Island Knowledge 2 Action Resources (PIOAR), OCA Asian Pacific Islander American Advocates Utah, Ink Against Cancer, Sayloo, and Money Mouth, Inc. These companies and organizations are always about diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as giving aid and resources to our communities through health, education, immigration, workforce development, civic engagement, and cultural preservation.

What is your favorite part of your job? The people and their involvement in our safe environment. Each individual's ideas and strengths are heard, seen, and put into action. [I love] having individuals represented knowing each other's differences, worth, and value in our group.

CORPORATION

ROY BANKS

CEO | WEAVE

in /IN/ROYBANKS/

What would you like to see in terms of DE&I efforts in Utah? We need more community building around diverse communities. I've lived in Utah County for several decades, and it is changing to support the increased diversity that we see in our state. The most common feedback I hear from the diverse groups I work with every day at Weave is that they feel safe in the office or feel a sense of openness and visibility at work--but don't feel that in their own community when they go home at the end of the day. They feel like outsiders. I want to see more Black barber shops, more support for diverse small business owners, and more emphasis on how the community can step up to make sure Utah is known as a welcoming place for diverse hires.

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