Assistant Director for Justice, Equity and Inclusion is Recognized with Holocaust Museum鈥檚 First Luminary Award
As Dominican University鈥檚 assistant director for justice, equity and inclusion, Amy Omi 鈥02 shines a light on the healing power of community-building.
It鈥檚 work that has earned her the aptly named Luminary Award from the Illinois Holocaust Museum鈥檚 Young Professional Board (YPB).
Omi is one of three recipients of the inaugural award, which recognizes the efforts of individuals who create positive change within their community and reinforces the museum鈥檚 focus on those who 鈥渟erve as a bright light during darkness.鈥 It was presented during the YPB鈥檚 10th anniversary fundraising event in October.
Omi was honored for her work with Dominican鈥檚 Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Center, which aims to resist racial injustice and social inequity on campus and in the greater community. Omi鈥檚 initiatives have included the creation of Racial Healing Circles, where participants learn to see themselves in each other, and Affinity Circles, where needs and concerns of a common group are shared as relationships are built. These circles have been open to students, faculty and staff.
Omi also helped launch the College Leadership Summit: Make Your Voice Count, which is held annually at the Illinois Holocaust Museum in Skokie, and encourages college students to reflect on topics like social justice, human rights and inclusion.
During Omi鈥檚 time on the planning committee between 2018 and 2021, about 60 DU student leaders attended the summit, she said.
鈥淚t is such an honor to have contributed to the development of this incredible program and to be recognized by the Illinois Holocaust Museum for my involvement,鈥 Omi said. 鈥淛ustice work is never done in isolation, but through relationships. I鈥檝e been grateful to the incredible DU alumnae/i鈥擜eshah Aljuwaybir 鈥20, Iyleah Hernandez 鈥22, Armani Brockman 鈥19, Asma Alneel 鈥19, and Alecx Hernandez 鈥20鈥攚ho contributed to the development of the College Leadership Summit and who continue to bring a social justice lens to the work they do beyond Dominican.鈥
Omi, who joined Dominican University in 2011 as a music liturgist, shares the 2024 Luminary Award with Micah Ariel-Rohr, assistant director of the Israel Education Center at the Jewish United Fund in Chicago, and Dion Dawson, founder of a nonprofit combating food insecurity in Chicago through home deliveries of fresh produce.