CHARLOTTE (TIP): Indian American community leader Manjusha (Manju) Kulkarni is one of the five inaugural winners of Bank of America’s ‘Neighborhood Builders: Racial Equality Award’ honoring leaders advancing racial equality and economic opportunity for people of color.

The award recognizes individual leaders who are advancing racial equality and economic opportunity in Black, Hispanic-Latino, Asian American, and Native American communities.

The five honorees are being recognized for their extraordinary contributions to break down systemic racial barriers and create opportunities for people of color across the country, the Bank announced. Kulkarni, Executive Director of the Los Angeles-based AAPI Equity Alliance, “has dedicated her life to fighting for equity,” according to her profile.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, she co-founded the Stop AAPI Hate campaign, which has become one of the leading voices in the effort to identify and oppose hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

The data and stories compiled by Stop AAPI Hate helped drive national action among community members to stand up and speak out against anti-Asian discrimination.

Due to their activism, Kulkarni and her fellow Stop AAPI Hate co-founders were named to the Time Magazine “Most Influential People of 2021” list. South Asian Network will be the recipient of Kulkarni’s grant.

AAPI Equity Alliance is a coalition of 40+ community-based organizations advocating for 1.5 million Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) in Los Angeles County with a particular focus on low-income, immigrant, refugee, and other disadvantaged sectors of the population. Kulkarni also serves as a lecturer in the Asian American Studies Department at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

In 2014, Kulkarni received the White House Champions of Change award from President Barack Obama, which recognized her dedication to improving health care access for Asian American communities.

In March 2021, she testified before the House Judiciary Committee on anti-Asian hate. Kulkarni will direct Bank of America’s funding to the South Asian Network.

“I am incredibly honored to receive the Neighborhood Builders: Racial Equality Award from Bank of America and delighted to be able to support South Asian Network, an organization dedicated to addressing racial, social and economic disparities experienced by South Asian Americans and ensuring equity for all marginalized communities in Southern California,” said Kulkarni.

“Through this program we are recognizing the impact of inspiring leaders in our country who are creating real change,” said D. Steve Boland, chief administrative officer at Bank of America.

“Supporting nonprofits and their leaders has been core to our approach of investing in the local communities we serve. We are proud to honor these brilliant leaders and empower nonprofits with resources to continue their work in support of communities of color.”

The other four in 2022 group of awardees are: Edgar Villanueva, Founder and Principal of Decolonizing Wealth Project, New York; John Rice, Founder and CEO of Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT), Bethesda, Maryland; Luz Corcuera, Executive Director of UnidosNow, Sarasota/Manatee, Florida; and Nathaniel Smith, Founder and Chief Equity Officer of Partnership for Southern Equity (PSE), Atlanta, Georgia.

The Racial Equality Award is an extension of Bank of America’s signature philanthropic program, Neighborhood Builders, which focuses on economic mobility and nonprofit leadership, the release said. Awardees have the opportunity to direct $200,000 in flexible funding to a nonprofit of their choice, it said. The selected organizations will also be invited to participate in the company’s year-long Neighborhood Builders Leadership Program, which provides strategic growth and development trainings, setting the organizations up for long-term success.