On June 19, The Moorhead Human Rights Commission presented the Destiny Holiday Award to Dr. Yvonne Condell. Dr. Condell is committed to work to advance minoritized communities. She has also worked to make Moorhead a welcoming and supportive community for all. Her nominators shared:
“Dr. Yvonne Condell, Emeritus Professor of Biology at Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM), has been a trailblazer in education and advocacy for minority communities for more than five decades. Since arriving in Moorhead in 1965 with her late husband, Dr. James Condell, the couple became the first African American faculty members at MSUM and were instrumental in mentoring students and advancing equity on campus. Dr. Condell played a key role in launching Project E-Quality to increase minority enrollment and helped lead the New Center, an initiative supporting non-traditional students. She also established the James and Yvonne Condell Endowed Scholarship to support minority students at MSUM. Her academic career spans 40 years, including 30 years of teaching biology at MSUM.
Beyond the classroom, Dr. Condell has served on numerous boards, including the MSUM Foundation, the Minnesota State Arts Board, and the Science Museum of Minnesota. A strong advocate for women in science and equal opportunity, she was a lead plaintiff in a successful class action lawsuit that secured equal pay for female faculty across the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. A passionate supporter of the arts, Dr. Condell helped establish Moorhead’s Black History Month program and was instrumental in commemorating Felix Battles, one of Moorhead’s earliest Black residents. Her lasting impact continues to inspire students, educators, and community leaders throughout the region.”
Congratulations to Dr. Yvonne Condell and thank you for all that you do for Moorhead and the community!
About the Destiny Holiday Award:
Destiny Holiday organized the first community celebration of Juneteenth in Moorhead in 2019. In 2020, the Moorhead City Council passed a resolution on the recommendation of the Moorhead Human Rights Commission to designate June 19 as Juneteenth Independence Day in Moorhead.
In addition to leading efforts to have Juneteenth commemorated in Moorhead, Ms. Holiday was the founder of “The Birthing of a Diamond” and “Diamond Kids” nonprofits, which empower and support single mothers and children from disadvantaged and underrepresented communities. Ms. Holiday passed away in 2022 and the Moorhead Human Rights Commission established this award in 2023 to be given annually in conjunction with the city’s Juneteenth celebration to a Moorhead resident whose contribution to the community exemplifies the compassion, resilience, and commitment to lifting up others exhibited by Ms. Holiday.
