Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1360078
Naqiba Gregory West Sacramento Teachers Association AMERICAN INDIAN/AL ASKA NATIVE HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD IN HONOR OF JIM CL ARK Maritza Ávila Oxnard Educators Association CÉSAR CHÁVE Z "SÍ SE PUEDE " HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD N A Q I B A G R E G O R Y I S a longtime advocate for Native equity, including equal educational opportunity and educa- tional materials and curriculum; preserving cultural heritage; training and leadership programs; a greater voice in CTA policies and decision-making; public awareness of issues; and creating positive role models. When she joined the leadership of her local association, she advocated for students and colleagues experiencing bullying, prejudice and discrimination, and brought greater awareness of the challenges that Native students and edu- cators face. She served on the equity teams of both her local and her Service Center Council. She was also selected to participate in CTA's EMEID program. At the state level, Gregory has helped promote Native rep- resentation in CTA and NEA decision-making and policies through her work in the American Indian/Alaska Native Cau- cus, CTA State Council Civil Rights in Education Committee, Racial Equity A™airs Committee, and NEA Representative Assembly. In 2019, EMEID supported her e™orts to create an Exemplary Educator Award event for her local. M A R I T Z A Á V I L A D E M O N S T R A T E S the "Sí se puede" atti- tude in everything she does. She is focused on empowering her students and giving them a voice within their community. On the CTA César Chávez Memorial Education Awards Com- mittee, she welcomes the opportunity to honor Chávez and his connection to the Oxnard community, where many of her students have similar backgrounds. Her students participate in the district's annual César Chávez speech contest, which helps them understand the cultural and historical context of Chávez's life and mission. As a member of CTA's California Reads Committee, Ávila helps with the annual, diverse list of recommended books for all grade levels. Her most recent accomplishment is develop- ing an ethnic studies course for her district. As part of the NEA Hispanic Caucus, Ávila has supported shelters for displaced people in Mexico and rights for DACA students and disadvantaged students of color. She is a member of the Association of Mexican American Educators, which promotes leadership and raises funds for scholarships for high school seniors in Ventura County. K E N N E T H T A N G H A S dedicated his career to uplifting others. He is an educator in the Garvey School District, close to where he grew up in Alhambra. Both communities have large Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) populations. An advocate for English learners, he collabo- rates with his students each year to "adopt" AAPI charity organizations addressing issues such as food insecurity, health and immigration. This work has both benefited the AAPI community and built an entire generation of AAPI activists. Outside the classroom, Tang has served on the Garvey Education Foundation board and was president of the Garvey Education Association. On his district's Dual Language Committee, he helped advance educational equity by pushing for more bilingual programs. Tang is chair of CTA's Pacific Asian American Caucus, co-chair of the Racial Equity A™airs Com- mittee, and past senior director of CTA's NEA Board members. In these roles he helped develop conferences that educate members about AAPI history, built relationships with organizations such as the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, and mentored emerging AAPI leaders. Tang is president of the Alhambra Unified School District Board of Education. Kien Tang Garvey Education Association PACIFIC ASIAN AMERICAN HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD 51 A P R I L / M AY 2 0 21