Winners named for AAJA Portland 2025 diversity and inclusion awards

Winners were named May 22 for the 2025 AAJA Portland Diversity and Inclusion Awards,

the Portland chapter of the Asian American Journalists Association announced.

The Oregonian/OregonLive won in the education category for “College Conundrum,” by reporters Sami Edge and Julia Silverman.

Restaurant writer Michael Russell won honorable mention in the food category for his feature on

Portland’s first Somali coffee shop.

The full list of winners is:

Arts, Food and Culture

Winner, professional: Paul Marshall II,

Influential Portland band Pleasure headlines Oregon Juneteenth Festival

, published by OPB.

Honorable mention, professional: Michael Russell,

Portland’s first Somali coffee shop rises Above GRND

, published by The Oregonian/OregonLive.

Politics

Winner, professional: Amanda Waldroupe,

Efforts to ban books in Oregon libraries are on the rise; library patrons and supporters are pushing back

, published by Oregon ArtsWatch.

Environment, Health and Science

Winner, student: Kimberly Cortez,

Black Futures Farm addresses gaps in Portland’s food systems

), published by Street Roots.

Education

Winner, professional:


Sami Edge and Julia Silverman,

College Conundrum

series, published by The Oregonian/OregonLive

Sports

Honorable mention, student: Mo Damtew,

Portland girls basketball players say they feel unsupported

, published by The Oregonian/OregonLive.

Asian American Pacific Islander issues

Winner, professional

:

Joon Ae Haworth-Kaufka,

We Contain Multitudes

, published by Oregon Humanities.

Winner, student: Riya Sharma,

This night market goes where Oregon’s Asian population is: Washington County

, published by The Oregonian/OregonLive.

The awards highlight journalism on “issues that, through discrimination or structural inequity, disproportionately affect people of color or other under-resourced groups in Oregon and/or southwest Washington,” AAJA Portland says.

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