Tzedek Brilliance Awards Celebrate the Impact of Asheville Changemakers

The Tzedek Social Justice Fund (Tzedek) has named Paula Swepson Avery and Al Murray as the recipients of the 2025 Tzedek Brilliance Awards.

The Tzedek Brilliance Awards are one-time, no-strings-attached grants of $50,000 honoring Asheville leaders whose intersectional work advances racial justice, LGBTQ equality, and the dismantling of antisemitism. Unlike most of Tzedek’s organizational grantmaking, the Brilliance Awards invest directly in the well-being of individual community leaders—recognizing and rewarding their contributions to making Asheville a place where everyone can thrive.

Paula Swepson Avery received the Ella Baker Brilliance Award, which honors a Black community leader who has empowered and organized others to address systemic oppression.

Al Murray received the Pauli Murray Brilliance Award, which honors a community leader whose work, like Murray’s, bridges movements and embodies the truth that all struggles for liberation are interconnected.

Inspired by transformative grantmaking models that shift power between funders and communities, the Brilliance Awards celebrate visionary individuals driving meaningful social transformation across western North Carolina.

“When I think of brilliance, I think of persistence, purpose, and people like Paula and Al,” said Libby Kyles, Tzedek Executive Director. “Their brilliance isn’t about spotlight—it’s about spark. They ignite possibility in others. At Tzedek, redistributing power starts by recognizing the brilliance already thriving in our communities. Paula and Al embody that truth. Their work shows how deep local leadership and intersectional vision can reshape systems, nurture healing, and inspire collective action.”

About the Awardees

Paula Swepson Avery is the Executive Director and founder of West Marion, Inc., the first and only Black-led nonprofit in McDowell County. A visionary and equity-driven leader, Paula has transformed the organization into a powerful catalyst for community empowerment and systems change.

Under her leadership, West Marion, Inc. has grown from $10,000 in seed funding in 2016 to an annual operating budget of $1.2 million in 2024. A passionate advocate for youth empowerment, she also serves on the boards of Mountain BizWorks, Impact Health, and the McDowell Technical Community College Foundation.

“This recognition reminds me that real change happens when we lead with heart, courage, and community,” said Swepson Avery. “The light we create together is what makes the work meaningful.”

Al Murray (they/them) is a white, nonbinary parent, storyteller, and collaborator whose commitment to collective liberation is rooted in their rural Southern upbringing. Since moving to Asheville in 2012, Al has been a bridge-builder across sectors—supporting youth, advancing LGBTQIA+ inclusion, and helping institutions reimagine how they share power and resources. They currently serve as Development & Communications Manager at WNC Health Network.

“It’s been a gift to support and be supported by my community,” said Murray. “I share this honor with everyone who makes joy, honesty, and bravery strategies for change.”

A total of 17 nominations were submitted for the Ella Baker Award and 14 for the Pauli Murray Award. Recipients were selected by a nine-person committee comprising Tzedek staff, board members, and past Brilliance Award honorees.

For more information about Tzedek’s approach to social justice philanthropy, go to tzedeksocialjusticefund.org.