“We Are Anchorage”

In conjunction with the second annual Mayor’s Diversity Week, a new television and radio campaign features the faces and voices of Anchorage residents proclaiming their heritage and the message “We Are Anchorage.” The Public Service Announcements (PSA) were produced by journalism and public communications students from the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) in partnership with The Anchorage Equal Rights Commission Standing Committee on the Promotion of Tolerance and Diversity.

The idea for the PSA’s came as part of the Standing Committee’s mission to increase the community’s awareness of and appreciation for the unique racial and ethnic diversity of Anchorage and to eliminate intolerance and unlawful discrimination. The Standing Committee worked with the university students who were looking for a meaningful project to develop a media campaign to celebrate diversity in Anchorage.

A number of people deserved credit for making the project happen,; Ronaldo Barbachano and Isaiah Woods, students in UAA’s JPC program; Celeste Hodge, Director for the Mayor’s Office of Equal Opportunity; and also AERC Commissioner John Brower: Standing Committee Member Norma Lucero; AERC staff members Yvonne Gutierrez and Merianne Thomas, and Community Volunteer, Deborah Gomez.  Special thanks go to the Chair of the Department of Journalism and Public Communications, Dr. Fred Pearce; Professor Joy Mapaye, lead instructor and researcher on the project; and two exceptional students, Ronaldo Barbachano and Isaiah Woods, who spent countless hours on research and production. 

In addition, many thanks go to the 50 or so citizens featured in the campaign, who opened their homes and businesses to our crews, including AERC Commission members, Elary Gromoff, Julie Eaton, and Breddy Yang; AERC Standing Committee members Toni Kahklen-Jones and Lucy Hansen; Municipal employees Nellen Budd, Dean Gates, Mayor Begich, APD Officer Denise Rollins, AFD Deputy Chief Soren Threadgill; and other community members, Augie Hebert, Darrell Berntsen, Gloria Barbachano, Harry Ross, Greg Kimura, Greg Hendrix, Pam Carlson, Todd Curzie, and approximately 20 children from across and children who gathered at a local daycare and at the Anchorage Museum of History and Art on a snowy Saturday in February! 

The PSAs communicate a positive message focusing on our city’s strengths.  The Standing Committee has created a timeless record that celebrates and congratulates the many contributions of people of different ages, races, ethnicities, genders, and backgrounds to our wonderful community – Anchorage!