Bravery of Victimized Chinese scholars, affirmative action advocate, Arizona social justice leader to be honored at 2024 American Courage Awards
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC (Advancing Justice – AAJC) will honor several individuals whose bravery is plucked from the headlines. On October 3rd, Advancing Justice – AAJC will recognize the Chinese scholars who had to prove their innocence after being targeted as national security threats; a student advocate on the front lines of trying to save affirmative action policies in higher education; and a social justice leader who is pushing back against voter suppression.
The individuals will be honored as part of the American Courage Awards at the National Press Club as part of an annual celebration of individuals, groups and corporations who have displayed extraordinary courage and commitment to advancing the civil rights of Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Native Hawaiian communities. The 2024 iteration of the event is hosted by Michelle Li, journalist and co-founder of The Very Asian Foundation – who became a household name after she confronted the anti-Asian hate and threats she received on live television.
This year’s honorees are May Tiwamangkala, Sarah Zhang, Asian American scientists and scholars unfairly targeted by the “China Initiative” (represented by Professors Gang Chen, Anming Hu, Franklin Tao and Xiaoxing Xi), and Sephora.
May Tiwamangkala, who serves as the Advocacy Director of AZ AANHPI for Equity, will be the recipient of the Changemaker Award. The award honors those who are a catalyst for change in their communities and whose leadership has inspired action on a local and national level for Asian Americans. Tiwamangkala’s work has taken them from advocating for fellow incarcerated and disenfranchised women in Arizona’s prisons to leading social justice initiatives around voting, immigration rights, racial justice among many other causes.
This year’s recipient for the Norman Y. Mineta Spirit Award, which recognizes the next generation of leaders, is Sarah Zhang. As a student and current senior at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Zhang founded the Affirmative Action Coalition, where she and fellow students work with university leaders to fight for diverse campuses and educational equity.
Receiving the American Courage Award are the Asian American scientists and scholars who were unjustly profiled and targeted by the United States Department of Justice’s “China Initiative,” which was launched in 2018 and ended in 2022. Professors Gang Chen, Anming Hu, Xiaoxing Xi, and Franklin Tao (whose final conviction of false statements was only voided in July 2024) will accept the award on behalf of themselves and their peers for their bravery in the face of discrimination.
Finally, Sephora will receive the Bridge Builder Award, which celebrates individuals or corporations who have developed innovative approaches to successful community engagement and particular dedication to the Asian American and other minority communities. Sephora, a leader in beauty retail, will be represented at the event by George-Axelle Broussillon Matschinga, the brand’s Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion. The brand is being honored for their commitment to bringing diverse and minority and women-owned brands to shelves and for their initiatives to cultivate an internal culture of belonging with clients and employees.
The event will be livestreamed on YouTube, however, those interested in attending in-person and supporting Advancing Justice – AAJC's ongoing work can visit the American Courage Awards' event page.
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