Unity Celebration

LBCC's annual Unity Celebration is usually held the last week of February or first week of March, as a capstone event to Black History Month. This exciting event brings together folks who work to promote diversity and social justice. The celebration traditionally features readings from LBCC’s Poetry Club, food from the Culinary Arts Program and a keynote talk.  Campus individuals and local organizations or businesses whose work establishes unity and inclusivity on our campus and in the surrounding community are recognized with the following awards:

• Analee Fuentes Unity Award
  Presented to one LBCC student and one employee for their contributions to diversity and social justice on campus.
• Gary Westford-Robin Havenick Community Connection Award Presented to an individual, organization or business whose work with diversity, inclusion, social justice and equity contributes to the college and community.

History of LBCC's Unity Celebration, in reverse chronological order:

2023
Analee Fuentes Unity Award winners:
Vanessa Cervantes Hernandez, Tessoro Melendez (students)

2022 (link to Celebration recording)
Analee Fuentes Unity Award winners:
Kristen Nicolaisen Jennings (faculty)
Riley Coleman, Danae Fouts (students)
Gary Westford-Robin Havenick Community Connection Award winner:
Casa Latinos Unidos

2021
Analee Fuentes Unity Award winners:
Jan West (faculty)
Christopher Byers, Alexis Castaneda-Perez, Nyssa Cronin, Cassie Cruze, Shonna Dempsey, Ruta Faifaise, Jessica N. Hampton, Katherine Hemlock, Amy Huskey, Carla Medel, Hannah Morelos, Katie Niemeyer, Wesley Sharps (students who contributed to Liz Pearce's OER text for HDFS 201, Contemporary Families: An Equity Lens)
Gary Westford-Robin Havenick Community Connection Award winner:
Deb Powell, Executive Director, Love INC of Linn County

2020
Analee Fuentes Unity Award winners:
Arfa Aflatooni (faculty)
Sonya James (staff)
Aria Smith (student)
Gary Westford-Robin Havenick Community Connection Award winners:
Joan Jones, Community Services Consortium
Albany Public Library
City of Albany IT Department

2019
Analee Fuentes Unity Award winners:
Jane Sandberg (faculty)
Patricia Simon (student)
Gary Westford-Robin Havenick Community Connection Award winner:
American Association of University Women, Albany Branch

2018
The retirement of Robin Havenick was celebrated with the addition of her name the following year to the Gary Westford Community Connection Award.
Analee Fuentes Unity Award winners:
Anne Magratten (faculty)
Reed Davis (staff)
Marta Nuñez and Raven Womack (student)
Gary Westford Community Connection Award winners:
LBCC Academic Foundation
LBCC Extended Learning Foundation

2017
Analee Fuentes Award winners:
Robin Havenick (faculty)
Victoria Fridley (staff)
Eric Slyter (student )
Gary Westford Community Connection Award winner:
Denise & Rod Bigner, owners of The Pix Theater

2016
Analee Fuentes Unity Award winner:
Chareane Wimbley-Gouveia (staff )
Chelsea Mick (student )
Gary Westford Community Connection Award winner:
OSU's International Student Advising Services (ISAS)

2015
Analee Fuentes Unity Award winners:
Dharma Mirza (student )
Mary Mayfield (faculty )
Kim Sullivan (staff)
Gary Westford Community Connection Award winner:
Dee Curwen, Director, Corvallis Multicultural Literacy Center

2014
Celebrating the 2013 retirement of Gary Westford, an award in his name was established at this year's Unity Celebration. This award is presented to "an individual, organization or business whose work with diversity, inclusion, social justice and equity contributes to the college and community." No winners of the Gary Westford Community Connection Award were announced, but the individuals below won the Analee Fuentes Unity Award:
Jordan Hagle (student)
Christine Baker (staff)
Fred Stuewe, Dean Dowless (faculty)

2013
Though technically the Unity Celebration began in 2009, The Commuter billed this as the first annual, most likely because it was the year the Analee Fuentes Unity Award was first presented. The event was again organized by Dana Emerson, Analee Fuentes, Robin Havenick, Gary Westford and Diversity Achievement Center Director Javier Cervantes. Analee Fuentes was presented with a commemorative trophy, and the first recipients of her eponymous award were:
Margarita Casas (faculty)
Valerie Six (staff)
Jorge Canales, Eric Noll (student)

2012
Keynote speaker was Freedom Rider movement co-founder Dr. Robert Singleton, then economics professor at Loyola Marymount University - Los Angeles

2011
No information available.

2010
Attended by about 40 LBCC employees, students and community members. No awards were presented.

2009
The first annual Unity Celebration grew out of the 2008 Black History Month celebration.  Though no awards were established this year, an active group of committed faculty ensured the success of this first event. With tremendous support from Division Dean Gary Ruppert, the group, led by former Communication Department Chair Dana Emerson, included Analee Fuentes, Robin Havenick and Gary Westford. This planning committee took the lead organizing the next several Unity events.