Celebrating our 55th year, the Columbus Free Press will honor five outstanding community activists and a community organization at our November 2025 Salon and Awards event on Saturday, November 8 from 1:30-4:30pm at the First Unitarian Universalist Church, 93 W. Weisheimer Road. One honoree for the Free Press 2025 Outstanding Community Activist is Julialynne Walker.

Julialynne is passionate about righting food injustice - the connections between healthy food, growing healthy food and marketing healthy food, especially within traditionally African-American communities as an  outgrowth of her international public health and African Diaspora work. She appeared as a TEDx  presenter on this topic in 2019; has facilitated several courses in urban farming (sponsored byBronzeville Growers Market, USDA/Farm Services Agency, Central State University, Franklin Park Conservatory) that addressed the  existence of food deserts in Central Ohio. Julialynne has operated a farmers market on the Near East Side of Columbus for 9 years. She has also served as a mentor to area gardeners, to a Mandela Washington Fellowfor three years and as Cohort Champion for the Columbus Mandela Fellows.

The Free Press event is free and open to the public. Also honored will be: Bob Krasen, Lezlie Combs, Paul Becker, Jawhara Qutiefan and Heer to Serve. The event is free and light refreshments will be available.