Colorlines Celebrates 20 Years by Honoring Inaugural Class of Transformative Leaders

Colorlines Celebrates 20 Years by Honoring Inaugural Class of Transformative Leaders

The race-focused media outlet announces Colorlines 20 x 20 honorees at nation’s largest multiracial justice conference

 November 12, 2018 (New York, NY) -- The award-winning, daily news site Colorlines celebrated its 20-year anniversary this weekend at Facing Race National Conference in Detroit, MI. In commemoration of the publication’s 20 years of race-centric reporting, it unveiled its first Colorlines 20 x 20, which honors transformative leaders who—in the spirit of the Colorlines mission—use narrative shift strategy to reimagine what it means to advance racial justice.

“Colorlines is the place to chart our collective resistance and has been for 20 years. Through Colorlines, the racial justice movement sees a reflection of itself,” said Akiba Solomon, the publication’s Senior Editorial Director. “Colorlines isn’t just a window to the world we daily struggle through, but the more hopeful world we are building.”

Colorlines is widely regarded for its unique—and much-needed—approach to reporting news through a racial justice lens. As a daily news site “where race matters,” Colorlines has earned critical acclaim for its in-depth investigative reporting, news analysis, opinion and curation.

Founded in 1998 by Bob Wing and Jeff Chang, Colorlines was originally a print publication published jointly by the Applied Research Center, a public policy institute that focused on race, and the Center for Third World Organizing, a training center for community organizers of color. Within a year of its 2010 launch as a daily, digital publication, the site was named a Webby Award Honoree for Political Blogs. 

“We founded Colorlines 20 years ago to shift the narrative around what it means to fight for racial justice and thrive as people of color living in America,” said Jeff Chang, Vice President of Narrative Arts and Culture at Race Forward—formerly the Applied Research Center. “We’re excited to lift up the work of 20 people who are doing that work every day in areas as varied as gender rights, environmental justice, education and labor. Here’s to another two decades of changing the conversation.”

The 20 individuals honored in the Colorlines 20 x 20 inaugural class include:

  • The Scholar: Alisa Bierria
  • The Kid: Amariyanna “Mari” Copeny
  • The Veteran: Miss Major Griffin-Gracy
  • The Entertainer: Mona Haydar
  • The Healer: Mushim Ikeda
  • The Politician: Pramila Jayapal
  • The Labor Organizer: Saru Jayaraman
  • The Accidental Activist: Jeri Jimenez
  • The Journalist: Nikole Hannah-Jones
  • The Voice: Shereen Marisol Meraji
  • The Storyteller: Wendi Moore-O’Neal
  • The Writer: Alan Pelaez Lopez
  • The Justice Crusader: Marlon Peterson
  • The Gender Rights Activist: Candi Brings Plenty
  • The Techie: Samuel Sinyangwe
  • The Body Image Warrior: Sonya Renee Taylor
  • The Educator: Maribel Valdez González
  • The Nonprofit Attorney: Keith Wattley
  • The Disability Advocate: Alice Wong
  • The Environmentalist: Elizabeth Yeampierre

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 Colorlines is an award-winning daily news site where race matters, featuring news analysis and reporting that centers the lived experiences and advocacy of people of color. Colorlines is published by Race Forward, a national organization that brings systemic analysis and an innovative approach to complex race issues to help people take effective action toward racial equity.