The Sterling Heights Ethnic Community Committee will honor five recipients for its 13th annual Diversity Distinction Awards, to be presented during the City Council’s Sept. 15 meeting.
The Ethnic Committee is proud to partner with the City Council in presenting award trophies to deserving individuals and groups that make a difference in our community.
The committee honored on school and four individuals. They include:
Ted Amsden – A resident of Sterling Heights, Ted is senior consultant with The Leadership Group LLC, working with various non-profit organizations on projects involving community engagement, fundraising consulting, diversity and inclusion assessment and training, and team building, to name a few. He is a member of the Baha’i Faith and has served as president of several non-profits including the International Institute of Metro Detroit, Model of Racial Unity, Inc. and the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association Foundation. In addition, Ted has several diversity training certificates, has published six articles on diversity and has co-facilitated diversity and inclusion workshops for nearly 30 years.
Malcom Charles – A resident of Sterling Heights, Malcom is currently a student at Michigan State University. Malcom participated in the Freshman Mentoring Program during the 2019/20 school year and was a member of the National Honors Society and the Leadership Program at Sterling Heights High School until he graduated in 2020.
Malcom founded Stomp Racism after an incident occurred where he felt there was an opportunity to create change in his school and community. Stomp Racism is a student led group in Warren Consolidated School District which has nearly 100 members. They provide opportunities for students to learn cultural competency, advocacy and the impacts of racism within our society. In addition, Malcom has been involved in the Sterling Heights Drug Free Coalition, specifically the Smart Moves program, where he acts as a role model in the classroom and discusses the importance of making healthy decisions and peer pressure. In the month of June 2020, Malcom organized a peaceful protest in front of the Sterling Heights Public Library which invited students and community members from all over to come together to remember the lives and families of those impacted by racial discrimination or police brutality and to shine a light on the importance of the youth voice.
James and Michaella Oh – James, 11 and Michaella, 8 began their community service and volunteerism at a very young age. Both reside in Sterling Heights and enjoy using their spare time, talents and skills to contribute to the efforts to promote cultural diversity by participating in various events such as the City’s Sterlingfest and Cultural Exchange for the past four years. James and Michaella have also attended the City’s annual Diversity Distinction Awards dinners where they served as models to show appreciation of their Filipino culture. In addition, James and Michaella have both attended the Memorial Day parade, displaying the Philippine flag while wearing the Philippine national outfit. They have also participated in several other celebrations such as the Asian Cultural Heritage Day and the Filipino American friendship dinners. Both awardees are honor pupils, active members of their church and partake in extra- curricular activities.
Founded in 1968, the City of Sterling Heights continues to be a vibrant, inclusive community for residents and businesses that is safe, active, progressive and distinctive. The Sterling Heights 2030 Visioning Plan creates a bold vision for an exceptional quality of life, offering distinctive neighborhoods, a world-class library, 31 parks and green spaces, and low tax and crime rates. With roughly 132,000 residents, it is the second largest suburb in Metro Detroit, and the fourth largest city in Michigan. To learn more, visit sterling-heights.net.
Those with questions or those seeking more information can contact Community Relations Director Melanie Davis at mdavis@sterling-heights.net or by calling (586) 446-2471 (o) or (586) 303-0923 (m).