2024 Gala Recap:

On Saturday, December 14th in the Student Union Ballroom at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, over 200 people gathered at the UMass Amherst Student Union Ballroom to enjoy a full buffet dinner, Khmer traditional dance, Black gospel music and a dance mixer. We had wide sponsorship by UMass Dining, Massachusetts Women of Color Coalition, Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce, BakuCare LLC, Florence Savings Bank, Greenfield Cooperative Bank, Encharter, Sankofa Gumbo, Teixeira CPA, PC and the Amherst Area Gospel Choir. Tickets were $55 to $100 or free of charge, thanks to a generous donation of $1500 to expand community access to the event. Assistant Vice Chancellor of Auxiliary Enterprises Ken Toong, along with Director of Residential and Retail Dining Garret DiStefano, visited the Gala to ensure an exceptional experience was had by all.

Rep. Mindy Domb, Amherst Town Council President Lynn Griesemer, and Congressman McGovern’s Regional Manager Koby Gardner-Levine joined Amherst Media’s Board of Directors in congratulating Jacqueline Wallace and the Amherst Area Gospel Choir as they received the annual Jean Haggerty Award for Community Engagement & Social Change. Past awardees who were present included Pat Ononibaku, Carlie and Gary Tartakov and Elsie Fetterman. Board member Ursa Sekou, a student at Holyoke Community College, presided over the event as emcee. Former Board President Trice Wilson also attended the event stating, “The energy, vibe, spirit of the evening is unmatched by anything Amherst Media has put on before.”

 Amherst Town Manager Paul Bockelman shared a written statement included in the program:

"For nearly five decades, Amherst Media has served the Town of Amherst. On this special night of the Annual Gala,

I add my congratulations and recognition of Ms. Jacqueline D. Wallace. Ms. Wallace has lived a life of service to the community.

Her clear and clarion voice is an unflinching call for freedom and social change. As Founding Director of the Amherst Area Gospel Choir,  Ms. Wallace has led the community in songs that have uplifted, challenged, and given voice and inspiration to all who hear.

Thank you, Amherst Media, for your contributions to the Town of Amherst."

The University of Massachusetts at Amherst Assistant Vice Chancellor for Strategic Outreach and Engagement Linda Zeigenbein made opening remarks.

The keynote speaker Celia Johnston Blue of the Massachusetts Women of Color Coalition (MAWOCC) had the crowd participate in raising their voices in support of Amherst Media.

The Director of Indras Artistic Creations Kennis Mor introduced his students who opened and closed out the formal program with traditional Khmer dance.

Interim Executive Director Yanna Ok presented Amherst Media’s year-in-review video and appealed to the attendees to continue supporting Amherst Media to fulfill the goal for a new building.

DJ Mikey Don played dance music for the second part of the evening.

Why the Raise Your Voice Gala?

The Gala was held to bring the local community together to celebrate Amherst Media’s role as a main town hub that enables everyone to raise their voices by creating and editing their own video and online blog programming. The organization has been in existence for 48 years since 1976, with the remarkaable distinction of being the longest continuously-operating non-profit cable access center in the country. More About Amherst Media: Amherst Media is a dynamic community organization. It is the town archiver, covering the hubbub of Amherst from its government meetings to cultural and historical events to sports. And most importantly in this divided climate, Amherst Media is issue-blind: it encourages all sides to be presented and hashed out embracing the most political topics and welcoming passionate voices yearning to be heard.

More on the Jean Haggerty Award:

 The late Jean Haggerty was a beloved producer and Amherst Media board member who was committed to uplifting her community through organizing, advocacy and collective action. Each year since 2010, the Amherst Media Board of Directors recognizes an individual or organization to bestow the award named in her honor. The first award went to the late Isaac Ben-Ezra and has since included such Amherst’s luminaries as Cynthia Brubaker, Judy Brooks, Rep. Ellen Story and organizations including the Rotary Club and the Amherst League of Women Voters.

More on Jean Haggerty:

Jean Haggerty was a former Amherst Community Television producer, Board member and activist. She chaired the Council on Aging and reactivated the Ann Whalen Tenants Association. Jean was a successful organizer and was passionate about advocacy, free speech, social justice, and service. Her concern for those who have been denied an opportunity to be heard left an indelible mark in Amherst soon after her arrival from Texas in 2000. In 2009, the Jean Haggerty Award for Community Engagement and Social Justice was established in her honor. Jean joined the ancestors in May 2015.

Past Awardees:

In 2010 Amherst Media (known as Amherst Community Television at the time) awarded the first

Jean Haggerty Award for Community Engagement and Social Change to Isaac Ben-Ezra.

Below are the full roster of recipients from earliest to present:

Awardees since inception:

2010: Isaac Ben-Ezra

2011: Cynthia Brubaker

2012: Ed Severance

2013: Founders of Student News: Joshua Wolfsun, Jessie Chasan-Taber, Charles Brewer &

Graham Churchill.

2014: Judy Brooks

2015: Jerry Gates

2016: Rep. Ellen Story

2017: The Rotary Club

2018: Amherst League of Women Voters

2019: Pat Ononibaku

2020: Elsie Fetterman

2021: Carlie Tartakov and Gary Tartakov

2022: CSWG: Tashina Bowman, Darius Cage, Debora Ferreira, Pat Ononibaku, Brianna Owen

(co-chair), Russ Vernon-Jones, Ellisha Walker (co-chair)

2023: Vladimir Morales and Victoria Silva

2024: Jacqueline Wallace & The Amherst Area Gospel Choir