Our first year of partnering with the National Torchbearer Program presented by the Go For Broke National Education Center based in Los Angeles, CA was a great success!  Energetic young adults aged 21 to 30 from Denver, Hawaii, Chicago, Vermont, San Francisco, and Los Angeles (“Fellows”) kicked off the program with a convening in Little Tokyo in June.  True to the mission of the program, they listened, empathized, and engaged with each other around such topics as the dynamics of privilege, discrimination, and collaboration.
Denver hosted the Fellows from Los Angeles and Hawaii in late October and shared information about the Japanese American (JA) community here including the history of Sakura Square, the Internment, and Amache National Historic Site.  Then in January the Fellows from Denver visited San Francisco where they received a tour of Japantown and visited the GLBT Historical Society Museum and Military Intelligence Service Historic Learning Center.  They also had engaging discussions on keeping  the story of the incarceration relevant, supporting the unhoused and addressing gentrification, and creating opportunities for developing and transitioning new leaders in the JA community.
We are excited to announce that we are now accepting applications for the Denver-area 2024 Torchbearer Fellows, which will kick off with a National Convening on April 25 – 28, 2024 in Los Angeles.  Applications are due no later than February 29, 2024, with a limited number of spaces available.  Access the form and learn more about the program here.  Please forward any questions to [email protected].