Meet an Anthem Judge: Dione Sims
Dione Sims is the Founder and President of Unity Unlimited, a fully volunteer run non-profit whose main mission is providing educational activities and resources to people in order to foster unity and harmony within the community, the city, the state, the nation and the world, regardless of race, culture or denomination. Read our interview with Dione, who is also an Anthem Awards judge, below:
For those who are unfamiliar, can you tell us a bit about yourself and the work that you do?
I am the founder and president of Unity Unlimited, Inc. where we focus on providing resources and activities that promote unity and diversity opportunities for the community to work together. Before DEI became the buzzwords for humane treatment of our fellowman, we’ve worked to bring people together so that exposure to the differences that make our cultures unique allows for the fear of those differences to be overcome. I am also the founding executive director of the National Juneteenth Museum slated to open June 19, 2025 that focuses on helping the freedom represented by the holiday to allow everyone to find themselves in the Juneteenth story.
What expertise are you bringing as a judge for The Anthem Awards?
As the program developer of the Opal’s Walk to DC National Juneteenth Awareness Campaign and signature petition as well as a community and social activist with my grandmother Dr. Opal Lee, I understand that vision and work are necessary to be a consistent force for the change we want to see happen in our communities.
What are you looking for in Anthem Awards entries?
I’m sure each entry submitted will answer a need society faces, but what makes an entry stand out for me will be the implementation plan and the effect on the involvement of the surrounding community and national community if applicable.
What does it take for a project or campaign to cause real-world change?
In order to make real-world change, a campaign must appeal to the heart of the human condition and address a need or challenge that many sometimes may seem impossible to overcome but they want to be a part of someone trying to do something about it. When this happens, the heart is encouraged that the small part they can offer is enough with the collective influence of others of the same mind.
What social impact campaign, grassroot effort, fundraiser or project has recently inspired you?
The Heal America campaign “Summ proier of Healing” provided financial grants to non-profits that developed programs this summer to build positive relations between youth and law enforcement, support non-profits working to encourage those previously incarcerated and those helping people troubled and disadvantaged find shelter. Their desire to positively impact the nation at the heart of the personal level really touched my heart.
