Utah
Living Color Awards: Recognizing those making Utah more diverse and inclusive
Performers from Ballet Folklorico ECK dance throughout final 12 months’s Dwelling Colours Gala on Sept.16, 2021. This 12 months’s gala will honor over 20 people and organizations who’re working to foster range in Utah. (Utah Enterprise)
Estimated learn time: 3-4 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — Greater than 20 Utahns have been acknowledged for his or her efforts to make Utah a extra numerous and inclusive place to dwell, work and play.
This 12 months’s Dwelling Colour Awards, sponsored by Dwelling Colour Utah and Utah Enterprise journal, honored individuals throughout neighborhood involvement, firms, schooling, authorities, inspirational leaders and nonprofits. The recipients vary from cultural ensembles, neighborhood staff, native and state lawmakers, activists and the one Black CEO of a Utah tech unicorn — a time period referring to firms that attain a $1 billion valuation with out being listed on the inventory market. A full listing of award recipients is obtainable at Utah Enterprise.
Dwelling Colour Utah founder James Jackson stated the awards are supposed to spotlight individuals doing the work to make Utah extra inclusive. He hopes the Dwelling Colour Gala, which honors the award recipients, may also facilitate further conversations and partnerships round range and inclusion all through the state.
“Utah struggles so far as attracting and retaining expertise — numerous expertise, specifically,” stated Jackson, who additionally based the Utah Black Chamber. “Simply inside the Black neighborhood alone, we have seen the inhabitants turns into stagnant so far as numbers, however we’re seeing numerous new faces. We simply have a revolving door. Utah has numerous work to do so far as changing into a extra welcoming and inclusive state.”
The Dwelling Colour Awards additionally embody the Cameron Williams Award. The award acknowledges one particular person whose work is continuous the legacy of Cameron Williams, a civic chief whose work included chairing the Utah County Black Chamber of Commerce. Williams died from a mind tumor final June. He was 33.
“Via his span right here in Utah — only a quick eight years — he positively made a mark so far as making Utah a extra welcoming place,” Jackson stated of Williams. “Everytime you talked about range and inclusion, Cameron was there. (He was) on many boards and committees, and he was very vocal about how Utah can turn out to be higher and he did the work. He did not simply discuss it; he did the work.”
This 12 months’s recipient of the Cameron Williams Award is Betty Sawyer, govt director for Mission Success Coalition. The nonprofit started as a response to drug arrests and use in Ogden’s internal metropolis. Mission Success started in 1989 with one of many first after-school packages in Ogden. At this time it provides quite a lot of providers, together with a neighborhood studying middle, tobacco prevention packages, well being entry and consciousness initiatives, a Juneteenth pageant and profession growth.
Utah has numerous work to do so far as changing into a extra welcoming and inclusive state.
–James Jackson, Dwelling Colour Utah founder
When requested what range and inclusion efforts she’d prefer to see in Utah, Sawyer instructed Utah Enterprise that she hopes efforts are measurable cultural shifts moderately than performative and conversational.
“This stage of labor requires actual monetary investments, accountability, and transparency. With these investments, they/we will come collectively yearly to have a good time actual, measurable and sustainable change,” Sawyer stated.
Awardees will likely be honored on the fourth annual Dwelling Colour Gala on Friday from 5 to eight:30 p.m. It is accompanied by a silent public sale from Thursday to Saturday. The proceeds go to Dwelling Colour Utah, which is a collation of numerous enterprise organizations, specifically: Utah Black Chamber, Utah LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce, Pacific Islander Chamber of Commerce, Utah Asian Chamber of Commerce, Utah Muslim Civic League, the Suazo Enterprise Middle and Younger Professionals of Salt Lake Metropolis.