As public policy organizer for the Community Stabilization Project, Giles has dedicated his life to bringing people together and stopping racism from harming communities. He works tirelessly to expose, oppose, and confront racism that threatens access to affordable housing, public health, economic opportunities and community vitality.

“There are so few organizations doing this type of organizing and advocacy,” says Giles. “I am honored by this award nomination, yet it’s bittersweet because we are still struggling to address and end racism.”

An important aspect of his racial justice work is educating community members about their rights and responsibilities so they can demand changes to policies that restrict or deny those rights. Recently, he has been very active in advocating with and on behalf of communities of color along University Avenue—promoting racial equity around construction of the Central Corridor light rail line.

Giles has also spent the last 20 years working with urban gardening and farming. He intentionally brings together different racial, cultural and ethnic groups to recapture vacant land parcels—striving to reconnect people with the land while teaching them to advocate for access to healthy food and sustainable agricultural practices.

“When we talk about racism, we must work from an understanding that we can’t force people to change. Fighting racism doesn’t work if we can’t stand in a place together,” says Giles.