2022 equity heroes
JUSTICE LEADERS WE ADMIRE
The TASTE Gala benefits four organizations doing meaningful work to impact change in our community, leading us towards equity and a Portland we can be proud of. Each of them selected a justice leader they admire for our Equity Hero Murals at the Gala.
Joyce harris
selected by kairospdx
Joyce Harris is a civil rights leader and innovator that has devoted her life to elevating those who have historically been denied access to equal and high-quality educational opportunities and outcomes. Her work has always been based on research and best practices about how children learn and focused on honoring the cultural heritage and richness of the black community. Her leadership has transformed opportunities for black and African American children in Oregon for the better and she has set the tone and foundation from which KairosPDX does our work. Today we stand on her shoulders and and carry on her legacy by upholding culturally specific values of black and brown children in Portland.
tawna sanchez
selected by naya
Oregon State Representative Tawna Sanchez (Ute-Bannock, Ute and Carrizo), has spent her life working to strengthen our community, fighting for the rights of women, people of color, and our most vulnerable. As the Director of Family Services at NAYA Family Center, Tawna helped create the Many Nations Academy, expanded early childhood services, affordable housing development, elder support, and assisted in building a nationally recognized domestic violence wrap-around service model. Tawna is a determined advocate who ensures equity is at the forefront of every conversation and every decision. The Native community is so proud of Tawna’s dedication and service in community.
gloria anzaldÚa
selected by latino network
Gloria Anzaldúa's words continue to lift up Latinx of all genders to express themselves and express their power through their words. She lifted the veil on sexism and violence against Latinas and articulated a clear path toward liberation and power. Her books and essays weave together Latino Network's values of self-determination, social justice and culture as we continue to positively transform the lives of youth, families and communities.
Sharon Gary-smith
selected by seeding justice
Sharon Gary-Smith is the eldest of the four daughters of the late Frederick Douglas Gary, Jr., a Tuskegee man and education advocate, and the late Bobbi L. Gary, local and national civil rights and senior rights activist. As the longest serving Executive Director of Seeding Justice, Sharon embodies all of who we are as an organization. Her commitment to justice and community is a hallmark of her career and continues to this day. The staff is ever-grateful for her continued support, mentorship and guidance.
MURAL ARTIST: AMEYA OKAMOTO
Artist + organizer Ameya Okamoto is a dynamic 22-year-old from Portland studying at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Her work has been profiled by Paper Magazine, NPR and Hyperallergic among others. In 2018, Ameya was announced a YoungArts Finalist in Visual Art and US Presidential Scholar in Art and was included in the NY Post's top 6 rising art stars at Miami Art Basel. She is a 2019 Adobe Creativity Scholar, 2020 Laidlaw Research Fellow, and the recipient of a 2022 Project for Peace Grant. Ameya is currently researching the role of protest art in social movements and sustainable beautification. She is the founder and creative director of IRRESISTIBLE, creating art for social change.
Ameya invites viewers to participate in the performance of protest and resistance through art-making.