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Sparta graduate wins first NAACP Youth Activist Award

Australyah Coleman was honored this weekend at the NAACP Image Awards in California.
Credit: Getty Images for BET
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 22: (L-R) Australyah Coleman, Teresa Haley, and Anthony Anderson speak onstage during the 51st NAACP Image Awards, Presented by BET, at Pasadena Civic Auditorium on February 22, 2020 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images for BET)

PASADENA, Calif. — A Sparta native and current senior at Central Michigan University became the first ever recipient of the NAACP Youth Activist Award. 

Australyah Coleman was honored with the award Friday night at the annual NAACP Image Awards dinner, and she also attended the award show Saturday night, which was aired on BET. Coleman had the full red carpet experience in attending the show. 

Coleman graduated from Sparta High School in 2016, enrolled at Central Michigan University and became the school's NAACP president her sophomore year. 

The NAACP celebrates outstanding performances in film, television, music and literature every year with the Image Awards. This year, they introduced two new categories: Youth Activist of the Year, which Coleman won, and Activist of the Year, which was awarded to Teresa Haley. 

Credit: Australyah Coleman
Teresa Haley, Marsai Martin from Black-ish and Australyah Coleman at the NAACP Image Awards on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020.

The award announcer said Coleman's desire for social justice left an impact on her campus at Central Michigan University. Presenter Tiffany Dena Loftin mentioned when a racist message was left on a whiteboard outside of a dorm in 2018, Coleman "jumped into action" to broaden the school's diversity education. They also highlighted Coleman's work with Michigan legislators on hate crimes, her work to address food insecurity at CMU and her efforts to create a polling location on the campus. 

Coleman also organized water drives for the cities of Flint and Grand Rapids. When Coleman accepted the award, she thanked the NAACP and the CMU chapter of the organization. 

Coleman also won the NAACP Organizer of the Year Award in 2019. 

Other major winners at the NAACP Image Awards included Lizzo for entertainer of the year, Black-ish for outstanding comedy series and Just Mercy for outstanding motion picture. 

Rihanna won the President's Award. 

See the full list of winners here.

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