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Contra Costa County is officially seeking nominations for its annual Humanitarian of the Year awards. Residents are invited to nominate applicants who best exemplify the life and legacy of civil rights legend Martin Luther King Jr.
Contra Costa County’s Board of Supervisors will select an adult community member and a student leader to be honored as Humanitarians of the Year, with the winners being recognized at the county’s 43rd Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Ceremony.
“We encourage you to nominate a community member whose accomplishments and service positively impact Contra Costa County, its residents and communities, and reflect the humanitarian spirit of Dr. King’s vision to promote equality, peace and justice for all people,” county officials said.
The theme of this year’s award and ceremony is “Silence is Not an Option,” and residents throughout the East Bay are invited to nominate a passionate advocate for the Contra Costa County community.
The nomination period is open Thursday, Oct. 22, through Nov. 30, submissions can be made on the county’s officials website.
The 43rd Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Ceremony will be held virtually on Jan. 19.
For last year’s celebration, Concord High School senior Christina Mazzi was named the Student Humanitarian of the Year, while Richmond’s Tamisha Walker received honors as the adult Humanitarian of the Year.
A dedicated community leader, Mazzi has contributed to both the wider community and her school, as a mentor, tutor and as a founder of the Woman of Color Project, which earned her the National Digital for Good award.
“In my 10 years working at Concord High School, Christine is the first student that has left me speechless when I think of all that she has accomplished and how she is changing lives for women of color; I can honestly say that I have never worked with a more selfless teenager than Christine,” school counselor Becky Heindlel, said of Mazzi.
Walker was selected as the adult Humanitarian of the year due to her community organizing and advocacy for individuals reentering from the criminal justice system.
She is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Safe Return Project, a Richmond based organization that is invested in securing the freedom of and supporting formerly incarcerated individuals.
She is also a Rosenberg Foundations Leading Edge Fellow and serves on Contra Costa County’s Racial Justice Oversight Body, Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council, and the Contra Costa LEAD Antioch diversion initiative advisory committee.