2022 Juanita Craft Humanitarian Award Winners Announced

For the fifth yr, the State Fair of Texas and the Juanita J. Craft Civil Rights House & Museum Steering Committee are proud to announce the recipients of the Juanita Craft Humanitarian Awards. Juanita Craft tirelessly fought for civil rights and performed a vital function in integrating many Dallas institutions, together with the State Fair of Texas. In honor of her efforts, achievements, and influence, the State Fair and Juanita J. Craft Civil Rights House & Museum Steering Committee commend the next people who proceed her legacy as advocates for constructive change in our group. They will likely be acknowledged at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 16 on the Briscoe Carpenter Livestock Center within the Heritage Hall of Honor, through the 2022 State Fair of Texas.

The Juanita J. Craft Civil Rights House & Museum Steering Committee established and executed the award choice course of as a part of their civil rights training and consciousness initiative. Nominations have been evaluated based mostly on influence and lively involvement locally, dedication to social justice by notable efforts, and proof of time and assets used to handle points locally. In partnership with the Steering Committee, the State Fair of Texas brings the group collectively to rejoice the Humanitarian Award recipients.

Legacy Award

A lifetime achievement award for people, households, or organizations which have made vital and sustained contributions to the understanding and promotion of civil rights.

Legacy Award Recipient – Larry James

Larry James has held govt management positions for CitySq. since 1994. He at present serves as CEO Emeritus. The firm combats East and South Dallas poverty by a group and faith-based strategy to training, medical care, authorized companies, technical coaching, youth and youngsters’s ministry, housing and improvement, and interventions. James holds levels from Harding University (BA 1972), Harding School of Theology (MA 1973), New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (MDiv 1977), Tulane University (MA—American History 1986), and Perkins School of Theology at SMU (postgraduate research). Throughout his profession, James has been concerned in creating and implementing holistic, justice-focused approaches to congregational and group service and outreach. James served as chair of former Mayor Tom Leppert’s Work Group on Housing, chair of Mayor Mike Rawlings’ Poverty Task Force, and co-chair with Mayor Rawlings of Neighbor Up’s Collective Impact Leadership Council that directs focused work in Southern Dallas as part of the mayor’s DevelopSouth initiative. Since 2020, James has served as Board Chair with Forest Forward, a Purpose Built. James’ books, The Wealth of the Poor: How Valuing Every Neighbor Restores Hope in Our Cities (ACU Press, 2013 and House Rules: Insights for Innovative Leaders, present his worthwhile perception on city group improvement.

Legacy Award Honorable Mention – Velma Mitchell

Velma Mitchell has devoted her life to serving South Dallas communities. She started her profession of service in 1989 as a group activist for the Mary Crowley Academy, serving to ladies locally efficiently pursue a  faculty diploma, then as a university recruitment group liaison for the STEP basis within the Bonton neighborhood.

An extended-time Bonton resident, Velma co-founded BridgeBuilders in 1996 to primarily serve the group of Bonton and the higher South Dallas space. The programming developed by BridgeBuilders has served over 600 college students, skilled and employed a whole lot of residents, and offered eye and dental care to 11,000 residents within the early 2000s. Additionally, Velma and BridgeBuilders oversaw the institution of Bonton Farms in addition to King’s Academy, a sponsored non-public faculty for youth in South Dallas hosted at Cornerstone Baptist Church. She helped safe funding from the federal authorities to rebuild Buckeye Trail Commons in Bonton (previously often called Turner Courts). Velma revamped the BridgeBuilders GED program, started Girls Lock-Ins, created a partnership with Kimberly-Clark to garner assets for moms locally and created Thanksgiving and Christmas occasions to make sure children locally obtained meals, coats, and toys through the holidays. Velma at present lives and owns a Habitat for Humanity residence in Bonton. and offers again to her group main the Bonton Neighborhood Association, holding the precinct chair for the group, and serving on the board of BridgeBuilders. She additionally volunteers at her South Dallas church and has served on the boards of assorted organizations equivalent to Community Trust, It’s Ok, and Global Day of Prayer Dallas.

Visionary Award

Designed to acknowledge people whose contributions are at present making a constructive impact on civil rights and group transformation in Dallas. This particular person has dedicated their private time, assets, and fervour to tackle a problem that addresses fairness and equity presently.

Visionary Award Recipient – Rev. Yvette Blair-Lavallais

Reverend Yvette R. Blair-Lavallais, the primary feminine senior pastor at First Christian Methodist Church within the Red Bird space of Dallas, has served in within the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex pastoral ministry for nearly 15 years. She earned a Doctor of Ministry from Memphis Theological Seminary in May 2022. As a womanist public theologian and meals justice strategist, she focuses on the intersection of meals insecurity, famines, displacement, and gentrification of Black, Latinx, and Indigenous peoples. As a results of her analysis for her doctoral analysis undertaking, she developed the Red Bird Food Policy Council to amplify the voices of these affected by meals insecurity and to work towards equitable meals justice options. Her 2022 summer season launch e-book, Scrimpin’ and Scrapin’: The Hardships and Hustle of Women and Food Insecurity in Texas Through a Womanist Theological Lens, debuted because the #1 new launch in Christian Liberation Theology on Amazon. The e-book highlights the often-overlooked narratives of ladies in Texas and contains statistical information and assets, difficult the religion group to disrupt the dangerous methods which have brought about meals deserts. Rev. Yvette traveled all through the state, nation, and overseas to immerse herself in food-insecure communities and current her work on systemic injustices at quite a few summits and conferences like “Bread For The World’s Global Advocacy Summit, Conversation with the White House,” the UN Food Summit, and Pan African Women of religion Ecumenical Empowerment Network. Rev.Blair-Lavallais is a Public Voices Fellow of The Op-Ed Project, a 2021 Engle Institute of Preaching fellow, and a 2017 Black Theology and Leadership Institute fellow of Princeton Theological Seminary. She can also be a 2018-2020 fellow of Vanderbilt Divinity School’s Public Theology and Racial Justice Collaborative cohort. She earned a Master of Theological Studies and graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2013 from Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University. She additionally holds a BA in Journalism from the University of North Texas in Denton.

Visionary Award Honorable Mention – Thana Hickman-Simmons

Thana Hickman-Simmons established Viola’s House in 2008 a mentoring program to present support and help to teen moms. Inspired by her personal teen being pregnant expertise and help system, Thana needed to create a spot the place teen moms may discover help and assets so they may receive training and a profitable profession to maintain their youngsters. Through a partnership with Cornerstone Baptist Church, Viola’s House opened a residential program for homeless expectant teen moms. Starting with one house with two beds in 2015, Viola’s House at present holds six moms and 6 infants. The renovated facility has employees on-site 24 hours a day together with licensed counselors, mentors, and educators. Viola’s House has given a protected residence, a mattress, and programming to a whole lot of homeless teen moms in South Dallas. Thana opened the Baby Benefit Boutique in South Dallas in 2022, providing being pregnant and parenting lessons to over 5,000 guests and moms a month. In return for taking lessons, moms obtain vouchers to buy within the boutique. Thana holds a bachelor’s diploma in Business Administration, Life Coach certification, and a license of ordination in ministry. Thana has had a profitable insurance coverage profession for 20 years for a number of prime insurance coverage firms as a catastrophic claims supervisor. As the CEO of Viola’s House, Thana has discovered her best pleasure in serving homeless teen moms as they transition from homelessness to self-sufficiency. Thana is blessed with three lovely daughters who now serve at Viola’s House in numerous capacities, and she or he resides in Dallas, TX.

Catalyst Award

For people underneath the age of 40 which are making an influence in civil and human rights within the metropolis of Dallas by creating new initiatives and alternatives.

Catalyst Award Recipient – Janie Cisneros

Janie Cisneros leads the neighborhood affiliation Singleton United/ Singleton Unidos in West Dallas. She grew up dwelling subsequent to Dallas County’s largest sulfur dioxide and particulate matter 2.5 polluter, the GAF asphalt shingles producer. Shocked by the outcomes of an air air pollution monitor on her residence in 2019 and the hazard going through her younger baby and aged dad and mom, she referred to as her neighborhood of Spanish-speaking residents and Dallas Housing Authority residents dwelling by the manufacturing facility to motion. They drafted a community-led land use plan focusing on GAF s removing by the GAFs Gotta Go/ GAF Vete Ya marketing campaign in the summertime of 2021. Janie additionally labored with the EPA to execute soil sampling and remediation attributable to W.R. Grace asbestos facility in her group. She has empowered her neighbors by giving them a voice to totally take part in authorities selections that influence their well being and security. Janie is set to assist enhance the well being of her group by combating towards environmental racism and advocating for clear air.

Catalyst Award Honorable Mention – Jennifer Rangel

Jennifer Rangel based RAYO Planning (RAYO) alongside Evelyn Mayo and Victoria Ferrell-Ortiz and serves because the Planning & Community Outreach Director on the Inclusive Communities Project (ICP). Her work with ICP contains the creation of the Neighborhood Self-Defense Project (NSDP) curriculum with Downwinders At Risk. The curriculum served as a information whereas she assisted Neighbors United/Vecinos Unidos in Floral Farms and the Tenth Street Residential Association to develop a neighborhood-led land use plan that centralizes truthful housing and environmental justice.  She has centered on advocating for the removing of insurance policies and practices that perpetuate the dangerous results of discrimination and segregation by each organizations. Her household’s expertise in financial hardship as Oak Cliff residents taught her the significance of advocacy and perseverance. Jennifer earned her Bachelor of Science in Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences from Texas A&M University and a grasp’s diploma in City & Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Since the launch of RAYO, she has offered bilingual instructional content material on land use, zoning and civic engagement to group members in Dallas which embody the Automotive Association of Oak Cliff (AAOC). Alongside RAYO’s co-founders, she helped create the curriculum of the People Powered Planning Academy for Racial Justice that can launch in 2023. Participants of this curriculum will develop higher information and understanding of zoning, land use plans, nonconforming makes use of, Dallas land historical past, and the instruments to result in racial justice.

Advisory Committee

Dr. Froswa’ Booker-Drew

Nikki Christmas

Willie Mae Coleman

Stevie Downer

Cannon Flowers

Hon. Harryette Ehrhardt

Joanna Hampton

Gina Norris

Donald Payton

Hon. Diane Ragsdale

Rafiq Salleh-Flowers

Jennifer Scripps

Katherine Seale

John Spriggins

Please be part of us in congratulating these people for all their efforts locally on Sunday, October 16 at 2:00 p.m. on the Briscoe Carpenter Livestock Center within the Heritage Hall of Honor. For extra information on the Juanita Craft Humanitarian Awards, please go to BigTex.com/JCHA. For extra information on the Juanita Craft Scholarship and how you can apply, please go to BigTex.com/Scholarship.