Creating a culture of service and inclusion

When Cesiah Bernal-Blanton speaks about her life and work, her words reflect a dedicated focus on advocacy and community engagement.

Recently recognized with the 2025 Beloved Community Service Award, which honors extraordinary contributions to community service inspired by the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., including caring, compassion and tolerance for all people, the Mexican-American behavioral therapist and activist’s story is as multifaceted as the communities she serves.

Bernal-Blanton, who moved to Ashland with her husband, Josh, describes their meeting as a scene straight out of a romantic comedy.

“We met at an airport. He was having some trouble navigating, and I thought, 'Hey, I’ll help this guy out and translate,'” she recalled. Their early “volunteer dates”—picking up trash or working at food pantries—cemented a shared ethos that now defines Bernal-Blanton’s life work.

As the founder of Latin Night, an annual celebration held during Hispanic Heritage Month, Bernal-Blanton has created a vibrant space for connection and healing. But this wasn’t a project born of convenience. It was a response to pain.

“Someone told me to 'go back to your country,'” she shared. “I decided I wasn’t going to fight back or get angry. Instead, I would teach people about my culture and its richness.”

Bernal-Blanton’s events showcase the richness of Hispanic traditions, from lively dances to the poignant beauty of the Day of the Dead altar. These celebrations, she explained, bridge cultural divides while offering solace. One story stands out to Bernal-Blanton – a young boy with autism who struggled with the concept of death found peace and understanding through the altar’s rituals.

“Through the altar, he chose to remember his cat by offering kitten food and placing its picture. Dancing and celebrating shifted how he understood loss,” she said.

It’s not just her heritage that shapes Bernal-Blanton’s advocacy; her neurodivergence plays a central role.

“As someone with ADHD, I find that hyperfixation helps me persist through anything,” she said. “That’s how I approach my work and life.” As a behavioral therapist specializing in Applied Behavior Analysis, she works with neurodiverse children, using science-backed methods to help them thrive. Her professional expertise and personal experiences fuel her drive to create sensory-friendly spaces and other inclusive initiatives in the region.

“I want my work to plant seeds of compassion and understanding,” Bernal-Blanton said. “Not just in physical spaces, but in people’s hearts.” That mission resonates deeply in her role as a leader with Ashland for Change, a multiracial nonprofit advocating for justice and community-building.

“We’ve partnered with the city, nonprofits and even the Red Cross to make this community more inclusive,” she said.

Bernal-Blanton’s efforts have not gone unnoticed, as she will be honored at the upcoming 2025 Legacy Awards ceremony, where her impactful advocacy work will be celebrated. The event is scheduled to take place on Jan. 28 at 5:30 p.m. in the Riffe Rotunda at Ohio University Southern, celebrating individuals and organizations making extraordinary contributions to the community through voluntary service and leadership. This free, public event also highlights the winners of the Writing Contest, which features reflections on quotes from the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Despite the recognition, Bernal-Blanton remains humble.

“The award is an honor, but it’s not the goal,” she said. “The goal is to make a lasting impact, to create a world where everyone—regardless of their background—feels they belong. This award is a wonderful opportunity to shine a light on the causes I care about.”

Looking ahead, Bernal-Blanton has ambitious plans to expand Latin Night into a full-scale cultural festival.

“Imagine downtown Ashland filled with the sounds, sights and tastes of cultures from all over the world,” she said. “It’s about showing that diversity isn’t just something to tolerate. It’s something to celebrate.”

For a woman whose life’s work is about fostering connection, the Beloved Community Service Award is a reflection of her dedication to caring, compassion and tolerance—values at the heart of Dr. King’s legacy. As Bernal-Blanton’s story – like the communities she uplifts – continues to evolve, she remains a steadfast advocate for inclusion, culture and community progress