KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — As part of this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. celebration, seven Kalamazoo-area teens are being recognized for their leadership achievements.
At Tuesday night’s City Commission meeting the winners of the Annual Social Justice Youth Awards were honored for their work on a number of issues, including diversity, peace, climate change, social injustice and their dedication to community service.
Dr. Lewis Walker quoted one of the honorees at the meeting, “She said, we’ll all become better human beings, as well as more educated and wiser when we experience different cultures.”
The award is given in honor of Dr. Walker, “a trailblazer for the progression of racial equity in Kalamazoo,” according to the city’s website.
The winners were Kearney Miller, Chloe Carlson, Derea McCoy, Aaron Dickason, Chanel Wilson, and Princess-J’maria, Jean-Monique Mboup.
The applicants had to answer questions like, how have they made a commitment to bettering the community, how do they demonstrate leadership, how to they embrace diversity, and how to they make sure everyone is treated equally.
Each winner received a certificate, a cash award, and a year’s membership in the NAACP.
