Thank You for Making Unity 2026 a Night to Remember.

Sandra Jackson-Dumont is a cultural strategist, curator, educator, and visionary museum leader whose work reflects the power of art, storytelling, and public engagement to bring people together and reimagine the role of museums in contemporary life.
Across her career, Jackson-Dumont has helped major cultural institutions become more inclusive, more responsive, and more deeply connected to the communities they serve. Recently appointed a Getty Research Institute Presidential Scholar, she brings a rigorous and creative approach to questions of history, public memory, institutional transformation, and the future of cultural spaces.
Jackson-Dumont is the former Director and CEO of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles. She has also held leadership roles at some of the nation’s most respected museums, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Studio Museum in Harlem, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Seattle Art Museum.
For her enduring belief in the power of museums to foster connection, reflection, and a more hopeful future, NAAM is proud to recognize Sandra Jackson-Dumont as a 2026 Champion of Unity.

OUR EMCEE & FEATURED PERFORMERS

Seattle-based poet, author, educator, and spoken word artist Chelsey Richardson uses storytelling to explore identity, healing, resilience, and the Black experience. Recognized as a Master Poet by the Center for Washington Cultural Traditions in 2019–2020, she is the author of All Water Has Perfect Memory, her debut poetry collection published in 2021. Richardson is also the creator of Writing as Self Love, a workshop centered on healing through creative expression. Her work has been featured in The South Seattle Emerald, Poetry on the Bus, and Black Powerful. With a background in creative writing and education, she continues to use poetry as a powerful tool to uplift voices, inspire reflection, and foster meaningful community connections.

Michael Bennett is an artist, designer, activist, author, philanthropist, and Super Bowl champion whose work reflects the power of bringing people together through creativity, culture, justice, and shared purpose.
Known to many for his extraordinary career with the Seahawks, Bennett’s impact has always extended far beyond football. As an athlete, he used his platform to speak boldly about equity, education, and social change. As a creative leader, he continues to build spaces, objects, and experiences that honor Black history, African diasporic design, community memory, and the possibilities we create when we gather together.
After retiring from the NFL, Bennett founded Studio Kër, a design practice rooted in storytelling, ancestry, architecture, and the reclamation of space. Through Studio Kër, his work explores how design can link past to present, invite reflection, and create places where people feel seen, grounded, and connected to one another.
For his bold vision, creative leadership, and commitment to using culture as a force for justice, NAAM is proud to recognize Michael Bennett as a 2026 Champion of Unity.

Seattle-born community organizer and advocate Deaunte Damper is a longtime champion for Black and LGBTQ+ communities. He made history as the NAACP’s first LGBTQIA Chair and was named a 2026 Seattle Pride Grand Marshal. Damper currently serves as a Community Engagement Specialist with King County Public Health’s Regional Office of Gun Violence Prevention and hosts We Live in Color on Converge Media. A recognized community leader and Ryan White Community Champion, he continues to use his voice and platform to advance equity, visibility, public health, and community empowerment.

Acclaimed vocalist, actress, producer, and community advocate Josephine Howell is a celebrated presence in the Pacific Northwest arts community. Winner of the 2019 Seattle-Kobe Female Jazz Vocalist Competition, Howell has performed on stages around the world, including the White House and Grand Ole Opry. Her expansive career includes 10 years as a lead artist in Seattle’s acclaimed Black Nativity, as well as performances alongside renowned artists including The Temptations, BeBe Winans, and Queen Latifah. Through her artistry and community work, Howell continues to use music as a powerful force to uplift, inspire, and bring people together.