Congratulations to the 2023 first-round recipients of the Tzedek Impact Awards!

The Impact Awards honor individuals who have engaged in systems change or community healing work in the Asheville region using the wisdom gained by directly navigating and addressing systems of oppression.

Take a look at the inspiring work of these local leaders.

Bruce Browder Jr., a positive Black male presence in community, has volunteered with various Black-led organizations in this healing work, including Umoja Health, Wellness, and Justice Collective and My Daddy Taught Me That.

Dionne Lytle-Young, an event organizer and entrepreneur, has been developing a scholarship program to honor and continue her late grandmother’s legacy of building self-confidence, academic excellence, and individual worth among young women of color.

Erin McGrady, a Queer Asian American adoptee and community organizer, collaborated with local community leaders, including Pink Dog Creative, Grind AVL, and Southside Community Farm to support Black-owned businesses, encourage learning, and promote food sovereignty.

Glenda Ro, a community herbalist and poet, has participated in protests, organized poetry events, and creatively supported social justice groups, including raising and distributing $3,000 to three queer BIPOC individuals through her mutual aid efforts.

Milly Cristiny Barbosa Da Silva, a Black, Queer, Latina immigrant and intersectional essayist, has worked to create brave spaces for communities of color to connect, reflect, and organize.

Ms. Norma Baynes, a native of Asheville’s historically Black Shiloh neighborhood, has been instrumental in redefining and reinvigorating the community, including co-founding and leading the Shiloh Community Association, and helping create the Shiloh Community Garden.

Paulina Schau, a doula and perinatal yoga teacher, has expanded representation and support for queer individuals and families, and worked to provide safe, inclusive, culturally competent spaces for movement, connection, and queer and gender-nonconforming care.

Quiante Brown, coach, CEO, and director of the Majorette Dolls of Asheville, has partnered with many local organizations, including the Lake Eden Arts Festival (LEAF) and the Edington Center’s Chosen Pods program, to uplift and inspire young dancers to be proud of their unique histories, experiences, and identities.

Ray Hemachandra, an author, activist, speaker, and business consultant, has focused on championing intellectual and developmental disability rights, inclusion, and service optimization and accessibility.

Sharon Oxendine, a proud, enrolled Lumbee Tribe member, has mentored young women and educated students on Native American history across diverse identities, settings, and lived experiences.

Ms. Sophie Dixon, social justice powerhouse and Shiloh community leader, has prioritized youth development and community empowerment as paths to securing community sustainability through inclusion and collaboration.

Tashi Dorji, a local musician, organized, curated, and hosted the inaugural Catalytic Sound Festival, centering Asian American Pacific Islander and BIPOC artists as a way to champion diversity, equity, and inclusivity within the local music scene.

Tiffany Iheanacho, a sixth-generation Asheville native, has dedicated her career and public service to helping those most impacted by institutional and structural racism by developing non-profits, such as the Asheville Buncombe Community Land Trust, A Therapist Like Me, and Asheville PEAK Academy charter school.

Whisper Moore, an advocate for LGBTQ and BIPOC communities, has worked to promote greater inclusion by creating safe spaces to support communities of color and to increase POC visibility, participation, and representation in areas that are often dominated by white, cisgender females.

Thanks to the hard work of these brilliant social justice leaders, Asheville is becoming a more equitable and inclusive place where all people and communities can thrive.

Read more about the winners of the 2023 Impact Awards at tzedeksocialjusticefund.org. The next round of the Impact Awards opens June 12, 2023. Learn more at tzedeksocialjusticefund.org/tzedek-impact-awards.

Applications for the Tzedek Brilliance Awards opened Monday, May 15, 2023. These awards are given to two courageous souls who’ve dared to make a difference in our communities. Visit tzedeksocialjusticefund.org/tzedek-brilliance-awards for more info.