Tzedek 2024 Impact Award Honorees
Ten individuals were honored in the third round of the 2024 Tzedek Impact Awards.
The awards recognize people who have engaged in systems change or community healing work in the Asheville region. The honorees and their accomplishments are listed below.
Bianca Gragg embraced compassionate accountability to foster transformational relationships with individuals, communities, and the land. Reared in El Paso, Texas, Bianca weaves self-healing into her vision for systems change, believing in the connection between personal well-being and social advancement.
Her therapeutic work blends heart-centered somatic and trauma-informed practices. Bianca has collaborated with such local groups as Compañeros Inmigrantes de las Montañas en Acción (CIMA), helping caregivers and children reclaim their connection to the land, and co-facilitating group discussions on unraveling adult supremacy in family dynamics.
DACA “DREAMer” Carlos Lopez works to amplify immigrant voices, rights, and inclusion as part of the Latinx-led Centro Unido Latino Americano (CULA) team. He began volunteering with CULA in 2021 and is now its Youth Engagement Coordinator. He provides comprehensive learning and team-building experiences through VAMOS, a Youth Mentorship Program supporting youth as they navigate personal, social, and civic challenges.
In collaboration with local school administrators, VAMOS hosted three youth mental health retreats focusing on mental health awareness, social integration, and identity exploration for Latino, BIPOC, and LGBTQ youth.
Cleaster Cotton is an internationally renowned indigenous, Black American artist, educator, ALNUGĒ Codes inventor, TED Talk speaker, cultural conservationist, and human rights advocate who seeks to address the impacts of racism from local to global levels. Fusing art and justice, Cleaster founded the Asheville-based Youth Artists Empowered program and co-founded WNC EarthMates.
Cleaster has collaborated with the City of Asheville, Asheville Parks & Recreation, Arts AVL, Bountiful Cities, and Southside Community Farm, and she received the 2024 Community Service Award from the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Association of Asheville and Buncombe County.
Immigrant Dulce Mirian forged a decade-long path in grassroots advocacy, cultural organizing, and cooperative development. Dulce has empowered hundreds to successfully navigate oppressive healthcare, legal, and educational systems and, through the Erwin District School’s “Our Schools” campaign, she was pivotal in challenging perceptions of students of color and advocating for equitable treatment. She co-founded the Cultural Raíces group, which worked to preserve immigrant youth heritage, showcase cultural contributions, and foster inclusivity, as well as the housing cooperative Las Casitas, which she currently calls home.
Dr. Eric “Big E” Howard has spent 20+ years laying the groundwork for a more equitable, inclusive community, aiming to advance human rights and social justice through professional leadership and community engagement. Now Head of School at Odyssey Community School, he previously served as the school social worker at Randolph Learning Center, Director of Student Services for Asheville City Schools, and Coordinator of Buncombe County’s first Veterans Treatment Court.
Eric’s work with OpenDoors Asheville and LEAF Global Arts addressed bias and promoting racial equity. In tackling systemic challenges of food insecurity, criminal justice reform, and eviction prevention, he has helped expand resources and opportunities for Black, Brown, and LGBTQIA communities.
Nonbinary Lesbian, farmer, and bipolar bruja Fél Marquez is dedicated to strengthening connection and resilience in WNC’s Queer, Trans, and BIPOC communities. As Director of Development for Asheville’s Racial Justice Coalition, Fél secured resources for the local reparations movement and co-produced the award-winning radio series, “Open Air: Don’t Get Too Comfortable with RJC,” in collaboration with Asheville FM.
As Food Safety Manager at Dig In! Yancey Community Garden, Fél provided free, culturally relevant food boxes to over 60 Latinx families. Fél volunteers with Asheville Tool Library, Soul Thrive Apothecary, and Soulful Simone Farm, and serves the community through the Organic Growers School, Asheville Buncombe Community Land Trust and Eagle Market Streets Development Corp.
Community-builder and equity advocate Jamilah Dixon ignites pathways to positive change in the WNC region. Jamilah has brought citizens together to increase awareness of local government actions and their community impact and amplified individuals’ voices and participation in the racial justice movement.
Jamilah has served as the Community Reparations Commission’s Community Engagement subsection member, helped launch the nonprofit Black Men Mondays, and supported OURAvl, a coalition focused on eliminating racial injustice. She also co-leads a project to develop an African immersion experience in Ghana, a rite of passage journey to explore African American ancestral connections and self-discovery.
Nonbinary ally and accomplice Oakley Brewer created a food system grounded in justice, compassion, and community through the Root Cause Farm, leading the cultivation of an acre of produce for donation while also holding conversations about the forces driving hunger.
Through partnerships with Southside Kitchen, they ensured fresh produce reached those in need and highlighted Black food leaders’ voices. Executive Director of the North Asheville Tailgate Market, Oakley implemented sliding scale fees and prioritizes diverse vendors, to support mutual aid, herbal medicine, and community care.
Shenekia McDaniels has fought for equity and empathy in Asheville City Schools. A single mother, foster parent, and elementary educator, she empowers inclusivity and kindness as a teacher and SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity) facilitator.
Shenekia’s lifework has taken her from birth assistant to homeless shelter liaison to Montessori instructor; at ACS, Shenekia crafted inclusive environments that honor each child’s unique identity and cultural heritage. She participated in a photovoice project capturing the realities of low-income parents in Asheville and worked with the ACS District Equity Team in adopting anti-racist policies, fostering community dialogues, and promoting an asset-based approach to teaching.
Teresa Mosely champions nonviolent resistance to challenge systemic oppression and drive community change. Co-director of the Keith Mosely Foundation, Teresa has worked to address the persistent issues of gun violence and school bullying affecting at-risk youth and families. Through her nonprofit, she creates spaces for honest conversations on privilege, power, and implicit bias, working with educators, policymakers, and community leaders to dismantle systemic injustice. She has helped secure resources to support historically marginalized communities and advocated for equitable funding practices to better tackle economic disparities.
Teresa’s coalition-building has spanned grassroots groups, faith communities, and labor unions, leveraging collective power to advance affordable housing, living wage policies, and voting rights. From coordinating solidarity protests to organizing community workshops, Teresa has transformed passion into action and experience into expression, working tirelessly to build a safe, inclusive society where dignity, justice, and respect stand as foundational rights for all.
These Impact Award recipients and many others pour their hearts into essential efforts to make Asheville a more equitable, inclusive place where all people and communities can thrive.
To learn more about these honorees, please visit tzedeksocialjusticefund.org/2024-impact-award-winners-round-3.