Finalists Announced! Join us for the First Annual Community Impact Social Justice Awards

Tickets are available for purchase.

The triumphs and traumas of social justice are the material of our American tapestry. Please join the Black Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) Employee Resource Group in recognizing leaders of social justice in our communities. The awards honor those who are actively engaged in social justice action aimed at making the lives of others and/or communities better.

Community Impact Social Justice Award Finalists

Youth Award

• Anthony Fosu
  A first-generation college student at Dartmouth (class of ’24), Anthony is known for his outreach and commitment to social justice advocacy, efforts to decrease inequalities and disparities, and mission to create opportunities for the underserved and vulnerable populations. At Dartmouth, Anthony is beloved and respected by everyone he meets, and he remains true to his life’s mission.
• Fisto Ndayishimiye
  Fisto is showing Concord, NH, the impact that one person’s activism can have. He has been a voice for the underrepresented neighborhoods in Concord and the many refugees and New American families who reside there. He has spoken out and built connections with City leaders, encouraging them to expand their community outreach, so they can better understand what is needed to help refugee families and the community as a whole.
• Riyah Patel
  Riyah is directing tremendous energy and passion to ensure a successful future for many refugee youth and families across New Hampshire. Riyah created and has led New American Scholars (NAS), a nonprofit that provides refugee students in New Hampshire the resources to successfully transition into their school communities through academic assistance, social support and peer mentorship.

Dartmouth Health Employee Award

• Alisha Robinson, DEI Program Coordinator/HR Business Partner, Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital
  Alisha makes things happen.  She is the leader of the Black Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) Employee Resource Group and has made many connections to civil and social organizations in the community to uplift the voices in the Upper Valley that are seeking allyship in gender and racial struggles.  Outside the boundaries of APD, Alisha has helped build a coalition of belonging that has fostered a growing sense of community for others. Alisha’s energy, warmth, and leadership have cultivated so much!
• Amanda Jordan Smith, Volunteers in Action Coordinator, Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center
  Amanda is a vocal advocate for our unhoused, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ community members. Many of her efforts have been highly visible, like the historical marker commemorating the long-obscured history of Dinah, a Black woman who was enslaved in Windsor Vermont, as well as the town’s now annual Pride celebration and the inaugural MAHHC Community Health Fair. Her tireless work to ensure that our unhoused, elderly, and isolated community members have access to food, shelter, and services represents a day-to-day commitment to social justice.
• Jessica Smith, APRN, Pediatric Endocrinology Outpatient Clinic, D-H Manchester
  Jessica inspires those around her. She helped launch the Pediatric and Adolescent Transgender Clinic and worked tirelessly to develop, research, and follow best-practice medicine for gender-affirming care. Her contributions have expanded the clinic’s scope to include community activism. She is heavily involved in providing education and resources to mental health professionals, schools, and the workplace. She gives her time to teach, answer questions, and speak to various audiences.

Community Member Award

• Kile Adumene
  Kile is the founder of Manchester Community Action Coalition, composed of volunteers who work towards the engagement of BIPOC-led Grassroots Organizations in Manchester and surrounding area. The organization works to discover and act upon the needs within the community. As the founding chair, Kile is committed to bringing opportunities to underrepresented groups by providing livelihood trainings and platforms for members to show their talents and what they can offer as entrepreneurs. She advocates for equality and equity, she partners with different stakeholders to conduct research on gender equality and fair trade.
• Kevin Kristie
  Kevin has made an impact through decades of service to his community as an educator, as a politician and as a community volunteer. He is one of the few African American members of the VT House – representing the Windsor 4-2 District.  He is the Ranking member of the VT House Judiciary Committee, and serves on the PreKindergarten-16 Council, Higher Education Subcommittee and the Advisory Council on Special Education.  He is Co-Chair of the VT Legislature’s Social Equity Caucus. He is also the Chair of the VT Human Rights Commission, and a Member of the UVM Board of Trustees.
• Emmett Soldati
  Emmett is a small business owner, activist, and advocate for the LGBTQ+ community in NH. He co-founded the Tri-City Reproductive Justice 4 All Coalition, and continues to amplify and participate in locally-relevant action items. As a small business owner, Emmett has experience building relationships and finding creative solutions to complex problems. As a citizen, he has been an advocate to protect the Salmon Falls watershed, one of the most threatened water source in America. As a candidate, he took the No Fossil Fuel pledge and the Green New Deal pledge.