The name MELANnaire comes from “melan” (as in melatonin in skin color) added to “naire” – to create a term indicating Black millionaire! Nachand’s goal is to assist as many Black business owners as she can to help them successfully launch their businesses.

Since 1982, this program focuses not only on developing athletic ability for kids 7 - 18, but also on discipline, accountability, sportsmanship, and teamwork. They have produced numerous Kentucky High School State Champions and more National Champions than any other track team in Louisville.

Lamont Collins named his museum Roots 101 because in higher education, the first course in a subject is always 101. This is a foundational place to begin learning about the African American experience. And most importantly to Lamont, it is a space for healing.

Diane Porter is Chairperson of Louisvile’s JCPS Board of Education, the first African American woman to hold that position. And she is more than qualified as she has been in almost every role in public education in this community.

She started school at Louisville’s Virginia Avenue Elementary, which at that time was segregated. Upon graduating high school, she attended the University of Louisville where she received a degree in education and later, a Masters in Counseling. In our schools, she has served as teacher, guidance counselor, principal, and central office administrator. She was a JCPS parent as well.

With a heart for music and an even deeper passion for social justice, Stachelle Bussey uses her people-centered mindset in her work at The Hope Buss, a Louisville-based nonprofit she founded in 2019. She works to connect people in the community with resources they need, whether it's a ride to the grocery store for someone in a food desert, a hot meal for someone living on the street, a ride to vote, or school supplies for a child whose guardian can't afford them.

In 2021, the Urban League turned 100 years old. The organization has done untold good for a century now through their mission of “assisting African Americans and other marginalized populations in attaining social and economic equality through direct services and advocacy.”

Louisville’s Urban League is a real standout! They provide a wealth of holistic, wraparound services all the time, but this year met even more challenges than usual. In 2021, the Louisville Urban League helped with more than 200 job placements that had an average hourly wage of nearly $16. They helped test more than 1,600 people for COVID-19, did 400 home visits and transported 274 people to medical appointments, job interviews, home searches and shelter stays. And much more.

At a time when our city is experiencing unprecedented gun violence, we wonder where to turn and what can be done. Christopher 2X, Founder of Game Changers, has been stepping up to help for 20 years. He understands that to stop the violence, we must break its cycle by showing children there's hope outside of trauma.

Even though Black movies aren’t represented nearly as much as they should be, this has been an exceptional season for Black storytellers, directors, actors, etc., resulting in numerous excellent, must-see films.

Pastor, Visionary and President / CEO of MOLO Village! The Village would create a new space for businesses and social programming, providing the Russell neighborhood with closer and better access to food, banking, healthcare services, education, programs and much more.

In September 2019, Taylor founded Change Today Change Tomorrow. Starting with six Black women on the Board, CTCT assessed the needs of the Black community and jumped into action.

Get to know Louisville’s HCBU, and its rich history of vision, service, and resilience. Simmons was founded in 1879 as an institute of learning for those who’d been enslaved. Its namesake, Dr. William Simmons, a former slave, became its 2nd president after helping develop Howard University’s teacher training programs. Under Dr. Simmons, the small Bible school expanded to include courses in medicine, law, music, business, and theology.

Shauntrice Martin is the director and founder of #FeedTheWest, a Louisville food justice program. She’s also the owner of Black Market KY, a health-focused grocery store dedicated to addressing food insecurity in west Louisville, and she has recently been named the Speed Art Museum’s first Artist-in-Residence!

Kentucky House of Representatives, District 41

Attica has been on the front lines of protests and a strong voice for justice

Music Producer and Tech Educator Committed to Growing Black Businesses

Evolve502 is a Louisville, KY education non-profit, working to make sure every eligible public school student can pursue the dream of going to college.

Charles founded Hood to the Holler in the summer of 2020, a time of great unrest. But in all the upheaval, he also saw great possibility. Hood to the Holler is focused on leveraging the incredible momentum for positive change in Kentucky and nationally.

A poet, fiction writer, and essayist, Wilkinson is the first Black woman to be appointed to this role.

EKI is a Black-owned and led outdoor-oriented social enterprise dedicated to inspiring Kentuckians and visitors to the Commonwealth to engage in an active lifestyle fueled by outdoor adventure while preserving the natural resources of our 120 counties.

Dawn Urrutia has a background in early childhood education, and has had a passion to create a nonprofit for kids. Specifically, to get books in the hands of children. She calls the initiative "Pies With a Purpose." In order to finance this dream, she started selling pies.

Get to know this wonderful organization that helps people meet their needs through crowdfunding sponsorship. They have supported dance teams for competitions and college students needing laptops, as well as helping individuals, such as a young mom furnishing her home. They do this by working closely on specific/discreet, short-term projects, making the need known to donors, and providing the link for donations.

Get to know Veda Morgan, Director of Engagement, Diversity & Opinion at the Courier Journal. A 26-year veteran of the CJ, she has successfully moved up the ranks--from reporter, to assignment editor, to senior editor. In August 2020, she was promoted to her current position, Senior Director of Engagement, Diversity and Opinion. This newly created position came at a time when Louisville was reeling from Breonna Taylor’s murder by the Louisville Metro Police Dept. Her new job is to “cover with depth and sophistication the important topics of race, diversity and inclusion,” according to the CJ announcement.

Stan is a painter, woodworker, photographer, and installation/performance artist. His friends agree with all that, but also describe him as a renaissance man - a father, brother, teacher, counselor and a master gardener to boot.

After being born, raised and then eventually graduating from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington DC, Stan achieved his MFA from Hoffberger School of Painting in Baltimore, before moving to New York to pursue his art career.

In 2015, a group of food justice advocates came together to address the issue of food apartheid in Louisville. They shared a belief in community-owned and run businesses to address community needs. From their discussions, they incorporated the non-profit Louisville Association for Community Economics (LACE) to foster the growth of community-owned initiatives.

Their first project was the Louisville Community Grocery with this mission: SELL FRESH, HIGH QUALITY, AFFORDABLE FOOD AND OTHER PRODUCTS!

Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation’s foremost, largest, and most widely recognized civil rights organization. Its more than half-million members and supporters throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities, leading grassroots campaigns for equal opportunity and conducting voter mobilization.