The three winners of the third annual Grassroots Black Leadership Awards in Lexington have been announced. One of them is Latarika Young, whose volunteer work for the Fayette Education Foundation, the Black Male Working Academy and Sneakers With Everything Project was praised by the Lexington Black Prosperity Initiative, the group that made the awards.
“I like to call my role and advocate and a connector, I see opportunities where I can use my talents and my skills, what I've been blessed with, because my village has been supporting me, and I try to plug in and add value.”
Young was a basketball star at Bryan Station High School who went on to make the Transylvania University Athletics Hall of Fame – then went straight to work at Lexmark. For her volunteer efforts, The Lexington Black Prosperity Initiative gave her 5-thousand dollars with no strings attached.
“I gave some of the gift to the Sneakers With Everything Project, and then the remaining to the Fayette Education Foundation.” “So you're not keeping any of it?” “Not keeping any of it.” “But you could have.” “Could have.”
Young said she tries to support others, just as she was supported along the way. The other awardees are Shawn Bumpase, the founder of Kentucky Black Pride, and high school student Kayla Chambers-Reed, who founded the African American Ballet Troupe.
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