2:39pm Reporting by Greggory Moore | Nominee Christi Wilkins didn’t enjoy crossing the picket line at the Hilton Long Beach to attend the Press-Telegram’s Amazing Women Awards.

But cross it she did, in the hope that she would win. What Wilkins sought, though, was not personal glory, but an opportunity to address the 400 active community members in attendance about the plight of the workers protesting only feet away from the gala banquet.

Wilkins got her wish, winning in the Arts & Culture category for her work with Dramatic Results.

“The best part about being selected was having the chance to speak,” Wilkins says. “Of the nine people who were the winners, no one except for myself even mentioned the dispute. I made a point of including it in my [acceptance speech,] specifically from the vantage point of we [i.e., Dramatic Results] serve these people’s children. We are about leveling the playing field [and] creating a brighter future for everybody. And having a livable wage is critical; it’s a cornerstone to getting there. And that I wanted to make sure that everybody in that room … bec[a]me very aware of this issue and do what [they] can as activists in the community to help these people have a livable wage and have the same opportunities as the people inside this room.”

Wilkins describes the staff managing the awards as “well coordinated and gracious.” But that staff had a surprise to deal with, as one of the tables — Wilkins identifies it as Table #15 — apparently had been purchased by a pro-union group for the purpose of doing in their own way just what Wilkins did: make sure the people in that banquet room knew about the dispute.

“As soon as general introductions were done and just as everyone was sitting down to eat,” Wilkins reports, “a bunch of those folks just jumped up and out of the blue) … with big placards, [yelling] ‘Boycott! Wokers’ rights!’ It was a good surprise tactic.”

Wilkins says that the event staff dealt with the disturbance quickly. Long Beach Post contacted the Hilton to discuss the disturbance and were referred to an event organizer at the Press-Telegram, who declined comment.

“My table and Frieda [Caplan]’s table were banging on our tables and cheering [in support of the demonstrators], but we were the only ones,” Wilkins says.

The first awards category of the night was Arts & Culture, so by coincidence Wilkins was the first speaker after the disturbance.

Wilkins, who says that since speaking at last Thursday’s banquet she has received a few e-mails thanking her for discussing the labor dispute, describes herself as glad she attended the event and feels grateful she had the opportunity to speak out to such a group of involved community members. “But it was hard,” she says. “This is the first time ever I’ve crossed a picket line. I’ve walked pickets, but never crossed them.”

But for Wilkins, in this instance, a higher purpose was served by doing so.