Annual Pauli Murray Awards

2025 Pauli Murray Award Recipients & Student Contest Winners

The Orange County Human Relations Commission is proud to recognize the 2025 recipients of the Pauli Murray Awards and Human Relations Student Contest. These awards honor individuals, organizations, and students whose work and values reflect the legacy of Dr. Pauli Murray—civil rights advocate, lawyer, poet, and Episcopal priest.

Learn More about Pauli Murray & Youth Perspectives

• About Dr. Pauli Murray — background on Murray’s life, work, and impact.
• Celebrating Youth Perspectives: 2025 Human Relations Student Contest — details and student work from this year’s contest.

Adult Category Recipient

Vickie L. Feaster Fornville is a lifelong resident of Chapel Hill and a proud 1988 graduate of Chapel Hill High School. She earned her degree from UNC Wilmington in 1992, beginning a long and impactful career in public service. Vickie started her state service at the former North Carolina Memorial Hospital and later retired from the NC Department of Public Safety as a Probation and Parole Officer, serving her home community of Orange County. From 2000 to 2018, she was an integral member of the Orange County Community Resource Court team, supporting individuals navigating the justice system with compassion and commitment.

Vickie’s dedication to equity and service extends far beyond her professional roles. For decades, she has volunteered across the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, contributing her time to PTAs, School Improvement Teams, literacy initiatives, the Blue Ribbon Mentor-Advocate Program, and the Parent Ambassadors initiative. Whether advocating for equity in education, voting rights, or mental health, or standing with individuals impacted by the justice system, her work is grounded in a belief in second chances, community healing, and justice.

Since retiring, Vickie has continued serving as a Special Programs Coordinator with both the Orange County Department of Social Services and the Second Family Foundation. Her leadership includes co-advising the Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP Youth Council, serving as a Peacekeeper with the Hannah Ruth Foundation, and chairing the First Baptist Church Scholarship Committee. She is also Secretary of the Board for the Centre for Homeownership and Economic Development and a proud member of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education.

Restorative justice is not just a philosophy for Vickie—it is a lived practice. Her lifelong advocacy and tireless efforts to build stronger, more equitable systems reflect the deep care she holds for every member of her community.

Youth Category Recipient

Vianna Fornville is a dedicated sophomore at Chapel Hill High School, where she maintains a 4.4 weighted GPA. A committed scholar and leader, Vianna is actively involved in honors and AP courses while balancing a rich array of extracurricular activities.

Participating in prestigious programs such as the Disney Dreamers Academy Essay Contest, Vianna is passionate about education, civic engagement, and social justice. She has worked as a paid researcher and historian through the Marian Cheek Jackson Center Freedom School and the James Cates Scholars programs, using storytelling to highlight local and national history. She also serves as Secretary for the Chapel Hill–Carrboro NAACP Youth Council and Assistant Secretary and Education Committee Chair for the North Carolina NAACP Youth and College Division.

Through programs like CHCCS Equity and Empathy Ambassadors, Blue Ribbon Mentor Advocate, and the Youth Leadership Institute—where she serves as a leader at Chapel Hill High—Vianna has embraced the meaning of service and leadership. She is also one of the student representatives on the Chapel Hill High School Improvement Team.

In addition to her academic and leadership pursuits, Vianna enjoys cheerleading, fashion, and community involvement through First Baptist Church and youth leadership initiatives.

Business Category Recipient

EMPOWERment Inc. (EI), founded in 1996, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering individuals and communities in Orange and Chatham Counties through affordable housing, grassroots economic development, housing counseling, and community engagement. EI serves low- to moderate-income individuals and families earning 30%–80% of the Area Median Income (AMI), providing life-changing opportunities to achieve housing stability and economic self-sufficiency.

EMPOWERment Inc. owns and manages 63 affordable rental units, including the upcoming P.E.A.C.H. Apartments, set to open in 2025. Through a robust waiting list, strategic partnerships, and committed staff, EI addresses the local housing crisis by creating pathways to stable housing, economic opportunity, and lasting community empowerment.

2025 Human Relations Student Contest Winners

Essay / Poem Winners

Aniya Campbell, Chapel Hill High School
Essay Title: “United We Stand: How Equality, Mutuality, and Reciprocity Create True Community”

Aniya's essay reflects on Pauli Murray’s call for justice through deep community connection, emphasizing shared responsibility and mutual care. Read the essay

Alys Traylor, Carrboro High School
Poem Title: “i am rise”

Alys’ poem gives voice to the journey of self-discovery and dignity in a world that too often misunderstands. Through reflection and resistance, her poem becomes a declaration of self-worth. Read the poem

Vianna Fornville, Chapel Hill High School
Poem Title: “See Me”

Vianna’s poem is a powerful reflection on identity and perception. Her verses call on readers to recognize the full humanity of Black youth beyond stereotypes and surface judgments. Read the poem

Visual / Literary Art Winner

Julian Shulman, Chapel Hill High School
Ceramic Sculpture

Julian’s sculpture, inspired by artist Sam Gilliam and Murray’s vision of diversity and unity, uses blended glazes and abstract form to express interconnectedness. Read the artist statement