As we end one year and begin a new on Color Me Human Nevada County remains part of the fabric of our region. We celebrate each of you, for we know you continue to be forces for good in Nevada County. This last year brought many reminders of the need for Color Me Human and other organizations and individuals with similar passions for inclusion and justice. You are all familiar with the local, national, and global news, so no need here to recount continued instances of racism, homophobia, violence, and injustice. Each of those acts and patterns are constant reminders of our need for vigilance and determination.

This letter has three purposes, first to welcome in the New Year, second to recount Color Me Human’s work in 2022, and last, to let you know what lies ahead.

Kwanzaa, Solstice, Christmas, and Chanukah all remind us that while darkness is present, there is hope and promise in what lies ahead.

Second, here is a brief recap of Color Me Human’s activity in 2022

  • Held training sessions with County staff on Cultural Appropriation, Allyship, and Racial Awareness

  • Facilitated monthly meetings of county leaders in government, education, health, and law enforcement through the Equity and Inclusion Leadership Alliance (EILA).

  • Participated, with other organizations, in the Protect the Vote rally at Rood Center, featuring a reading of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s April 4, 1967 speech ‘Beyond Vietnam’.

  • Hosted Nevada County’s First and Second Annual Juneteenth Celebration at Pioneer Park, well-attended with great energy and community connections.

  • Through the EILA, continued work on a process to identify the frequency and scope of acts of hate or intolerance in the County.

  • Made presentations at a Unitarian Universalist Community of the Mountains event on engaging with local issues, and to the Community Service Network of Nevada County.

  • Met with Nevada Joint Union High School District Superintendent and Nevada Union High School Principal to discuss plans to address incidents of racial bullying.

  • Collaborated with Nevada County Pride and Community Beyond Violence at tabling events at the Pride Family Picnic, Nevada County Fair, Sierra College Community Days, and Transgender Day of Remembrance

  • Facilitated monthly ‘True Colors’ meetings for Trans/CD community members.

In the upcoming year, we wanted to inform you of a few changes. As you know, Founder and Executive Director Tracy Pepper was on medical leave and sabbatical for the second half of the year. As a result of her medical status, Tracy will continue with Color Me Human as Executive Director, but in a limited capacity at this time. Consequently, the Board will reframe our priorities in 2023 to match our future staffing and funding.

That said, there will be activities that will definitely continue, among them are:

  • Participating in the Upcoming January 16 Martin Luther King celebration

  • Continuing to monitor and respond to incidents of racial bullying in the schools

  • Partnering with other organizations on events to celebrate racial and gender diversity

  • Hosting the Third Annual Juneteenth Event

  • Participating and facilitating monthly Equity, Inclusion, and Leadership Alliance meetings

  • Facilitating monthly ‘True Colors’ meetings for Trans/CD community members.

Know that Color Me Human is still here, and will continue to be a force for inclusion, equity, welcomimg, and justice in our community. Thank you for your past support as volunteers, financially, and as community activists. We hope we can count on you to continue this in 2023. Please visit our website, https://www.colormehuman.org/ where you can learn more about these areas where you can contribute.

Board of Directors

Daryl Grigsby, Chair

Rev. Kevin Tarsa, Vice-Chair

Tom Pepper, Secretary

Donn Harris, Treasurer

Chantou Lam, Member

Rick Partridge, Member

STAFF

Tracy Pepper, Founder, Executive Director