Kalamazoo honors eight students with Social Justice Youth Awards
The Kalamazoo Social Justice Youth Awards recognize young individuals who exemplify the values of equality, community service, and advocacy for social change.
The City of Kalamazoo awarded eight students for their leadership and commitment to racial and social justice during the annual Social Justice Youth Awards on Monday, January 27.
The awards, presented as part of the city’s celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, recognize young individuals who exemplify the values of equality, community service, and advocacy for social change.
“This year’s recipients have shown outstanding dedication to making a difference in their communities,” said City Commissioner Juanita Lark. “Their efforts are a powerful reminder of Dr. King’s legacy and the ongoing work to create a just society.”
The awards were presented by local organizations including Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Consumers Energy, Fifth Third Bank, and others. Each honoree was recognized for their significant contributions to social justice through volunteerism, political advocacy, and community leadership.
Layla Hemphill, recognized by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, was honored for her work with individuals with disabilities, homeless advocacy, and fundraising for Alzheimer’s research. Hemphill also serves as a peer coach for Bent Not Broken and is on the leadership team for Confident Sole.
Ava Tate, honored by Consumers Energy, was celebrated for her political advocacy, academic success, and involvement in community service. Tate has worked on several political campaigns, including local and presidential races, and serves as vice president of her high school’s Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) club.
Omar Elghawy, recognized by Fifth Third Bank, was praised for his leadership with the Kalamazoo Nonviolent Opponents of War (KNOW). Elghawy, a second-generation immigrant, has organized events to raise awareness about global issues and inspire local action for justice.
Winter Owens, honored by KNOW, was recognized for her mentorship with Jeter’s Leaders and her volunteer work across several cities. Owens has also been involved in organizing workshops on racism and social change.
Other recipients included Michael T. Scott, recognized for his service with local food banks and church ministries; Isabella Morris, honored for her leadership in youth development programs; Dontray Hemphill Jr., acknowledged for his advocacy in juvenile justice reform; and Paul Evans, who was celebrated for his work on diversity and inclusion initiatives at Loy Norrix High School.
The awards ceremony is available for viewing on the City of Kalamazoo’s YouTube channel.
Related Articles
Watershed Voice on publishing pause until January 26
We are officially taking our annual three-week publishing pause to give our staff some much needed rest, and an opportunity to reset before hitting the ground running in 2026. We will return on Monday, January 26.
Watershed Voice: Year in Review
Before our three-week publishing pause, Watershed Voice invites our readers to take a look back at the past year in local news. For Watershed Voice, it was a year marked by change, as we transitioned from one staff writer — Najifa Farhat for the first half of the year — to another, Maxwell Knauer, for the second half of the year.
No matter the author of our stories, we aimed to bring prompt, fact-based, independent reporting to Southwest Michigan. Here’s a look at some of our favorite, most impactful, and most-read stories of 2025.
Watershed Voice 2025: By the Numbers
As the year comes to an end, Watershed Voice takes a look back at a year of keeping readers across Southwest Michigan informed.
In 2025, Watershed Voice published 322 stories, averaging 27 articles per month. Over the course of the year, our reporting reached 137,762 total page views from 79,435 visitors.
