Print Last week, at the National Conflict Resolution Center’s Peacemaker Awards, I was reminded of the diversity of people who are actively waging peace. And I was encouraged by it. Like Local Peacemaker honorees Ekene and Nene Okolo, who started an Instagram account (@BlackinPUSD) inviting students and alumni of color to share their experiences in the Poway Unified School District. The outpouring led to long-term changes at the district, which immediately adopted a districtwide racial equity and inclusion plan. Black educators were hired. School libraries added hundreds of books reflecting the diversity of our country. At the awards ceremony, the sisters recalled the dinner table conversation that prompted them to act. They never imagined that their platform would get so big or influential. “It shows how advocacy can go a long way — that fighting for what’s right is so important,” Ekene said. So, the Okolo sisters continue to amplify the voices of people who have been silenced for so long.