2023 Founder's Week - Reflections of Excellence Program

Reflections of Excellence

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2023

Order of Program

introduction of the president of morehouse college

Jasmine Gurley

Director of Brand, Media, and Communications

greetings

David A. Thomas, Ph.D.

12th President, Morehouse College

opening remarks

Errin Haines

Award-winning Political Journalist

Founder & Editor-at-Large, The 19th*

honorees

David J. Grain

Candle in Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy

Courtney B. Vance

Candle for Lifetime Achievement in Arts and Entertainment

q &a session

closing remarks

Errin Haines

James W. Compton ’61 Bennie Leadership and Service

Terry L. Woodard ’81 Bennie Achievement

Sanford L. Biggers ’92 Bennie Trailblazer

errin haines

Errin Haines, a Georgia native, is an award-winning journalist whose work centers on politics, civil rights, voting rights, gender, and race.

Haines grew up in Fairburn, Georgia, and studied mass communication and media studies at Oglethorpe University in nearby Atlanta from 2000–2002. She covered urban affairs at the Atlanta Daily World—the city’s oldest continuously publishing Black newspaper—as well as writing for The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and the Orlando Sentinel. In addition, she has contributed to media outlets such as NPR and POLITICO Magazine.

Haines became a national writer for The Associated Press from 2017–2020, primarily covering race, politics, and culture in America. Currently, she is an MSNBC Contributor, as well as being an editor-at-large and a founding mother of The 19th, a nonprofit, independent newsroom, launched in 2020, which focuses on the intersection of gender, politics, and policy. She has taught classes on race, gender and the 2020 election at the Georgetown University Institute of Politics and Public Service, and served as a Visiting Fellow at Princeton University.

Haines was The 19th’s first editorial hire and sole reporter at the start of the historic 2020 Democratic primary election cycle, covering issues of electability in the party’s most diverse field in U.S. history, including several candidates of color and a record six women. The journalist’s interviews included talks with now Vice President Kamala Harris, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Stacey Abrams, and former U.S. National Security Advisor Susan Rice.

At The 19th (named for the 19th Amendment), Haines emphasizes the role of women as the majority of the electorate and consistently frames voter issues through a gender lens. She is a recognized thought leader and frequent commentator on media outlets such as MSNBC, CNN, NPR, and CBS, a guest on numerous podcasts, and a sought-after expert on issues of media diversity.

Haines is also currently writing her first book, “Twice as Good,” which will explore the growth of Black women’s power and leadership through Harris’ historic ascent to U.S. vice president, and the rise of other notable trailblazers.

She lives in Philadelphia with her dog, Ginger.

Award-winning Political Journalist Founder & Editor-at-Large, The 19th*

BENNIE TRAILBLAZER SANFORD L. BIGGERS ’92

Acclaimed Visual Artist and Sculptor

Sanford Biggers ’92 is a New York Citybased inter-disciplinary artist who works in film/video, installation, sculpture, music, and performance. A Los Angeles native, Biggers received his bachelor of arts degree from Morehouse and went on to earn an MFA from the interdisciplinary School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) in 1999.

At SAIC, Biggers had the opportunity to collaborate with others and work in media such as film, video, and sculpture. He continued to be influenced by African American history and became dedicated to shining a light on the stories not taught in school. The artist’s work, in fact, has been described as an interplay of narrative, perspective, and history that speaks to current social, political, and economic happenings.

Biggers has worked with antique quilts, for example, that echo rumors of their use as Underground Railroad signposts. His Bronx Museum exhibit in 2020 brought together quilt-based works layering painting, collage, and sculpture onto antique quilts—engaging the tradition of African American quilt-making with contemporary culture and symbolism.

Following his residency as an American Academy Fellow in Rome, Biggers also began working in marble. His “Chimera” exhibit features forms that juxtapose classical and historical references to create alternative meanings. (Western-style figures, generally rendered in marble or bronze, for example, have faces obscured by African masks.)

Biggers has work in numerous permanent collections, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art—all in New York City— and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., and the Dallas Museum of Art.

In addition to his art career, Biggers leads the experimental concept band Moon Medicin, whose multimedia performances incorporate costumes, photo and video installations, political satire, and surrealist funk.

Biggers has been the recipient of numerous awards and recognition. He was appointed the 2021-2022 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Visiting Professor and Scholar in the MIT Department of Architecture, and in February 2021 received the Savannah College of Art & Design’s deFINE Art Award. In 2020, Biggers was awarded a prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship and appointed board president at SculptureCenter. He has been inducted into the New York Foundation for the Arts Hall of Fame, and received both the American Academy of Arts and Letters Award and the Rome Prize in Visual Arts.

BENNIE LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE

JAMES W. COMPTON ’61

Civic Leader and Former President, Chicago Urban League

James Washington Compton ’61 is an American businessman and civil rights activist who served as president and CEO of the Chicago Urban League from 1978 until 2006. During his tenure, the organization refocused its interest in education and economic development and developed a new emphasis on community empowerment.

Born in Aurora, Illinois, Compton grew up in Chicago. He studied political science at Morehouse College and while there received the Charles E. Merrill Jr. Endowed Scholarship, which enabled him to study at the University of Grenoble in France. He also participated as a student representative of the United States in the U.S.–Soviet Union Cultural Exchange Program.

At Morehouse, Compton worked with legendary educator and Morehouse President Benjamin Mays. He was also active in the Civil Rights Movement in Atlanta and brought that interest with him to Chicago. Compton worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, for example, in 1966 when King moved to Chicago to initiate his campaign to end discrimination in housing, employment, and schools in the North.

Before returning to Chicago, Compton served as founding executive director of the Broome County Urban League in Binghamton, New York. He was with the National Urban League and the Chicago Urban League in various capacities until he was named president and CEO of the Chicago Urban League in 1978. Along with putting the agency on a firm financial base, Compton is credited with changing the organization from primarily a social service organization to a research organization advocating for public policy and ensuring that the League had a voice on issues affecting the urban poor and the African American community.

Compton has received numerous forms of recognition and awards for his work, including the Fred Luster Sr. Image Award, Edwin C. Berry Civil Rights Award, and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Service Award. He has also been honored with an award for his Lifetime Commitment to Social and Economic Justice.

Compton has served as a member of several corporate and charitable boards of directors, including those at ComEd, DePaul University, Ariel Investments, the ETA Creative Arts Foundation, Big Shoulders Fund, Morehouse Research Institute, and the Seaway Bank and Trust Company. He has also served as board president of the Chicago Public Library and interim president of the Chicago Board of Education.

Compton has worked with the Rainbow Push Coalition, is a lifetime member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. and the Morehouse College Alumni Association, and has the distinction of being a life trustee of the Field Museum of Natural History.

BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT TERRY L. WOODARD ’81

Managing Director and Vice Chairman Financial Sponsors Group, Private Bank, J.P. Morgan

Terry Woodard ’81 joined JPMorgan Chase after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in finance from Morehouse College in 1981.

Woodard began his career with the Chase Manhattan Bank. He attended the Chase Credit Training Program and then held positions in general auditing, risk management, credit underwriting, and client management. After more than 40 years of service, Woodard is currently a managing director and vice chairman of the J.P. Morgan Private Bank’s Financial Sponsors Group, as well as a member of the Morgan Circle—the top 5 percent of advisors in the Private Bank.

Today, Woodard and his team of financial and service specialists are responsible for handling the day-to-day banking, investment, tax, and financial planning needs of individuals and non-profit organizations.

Beyond his considerable business success, Woodard’s leadership in diversity and inclusion has had a major impact. He is the global co-chair of BOLD (Black Organization for Leadership and Development), co-founder and former co-chair of the Asset Management Black Leadership Forum, and a member of the Executive Leadership Council, a distinguished membership organization promoting the development of global Black leaders. In addition, Woodard is the JPMorgan Chase Ambassador to Morehouse College and formerly captained the Morehouse Recruiting Team.

Terry is also: a board member of the United Negro College Fund; chairman of the board of Jazz House Kids, an organization dedicated to educating children through jazz; chairman of the board of the Sphinx Organization, a social justice group working to transform lives through the power of diversity in the arts; a member of the Friends of MoMA; and a former board member of the Girl Scouts in Essex, Hudson, and Union counties in New Jersey.

Woodard has been honored by the National Association of Black Accountants of New York. He is also the recipient of the Harlem YMCA Black Achievers in Industry Award, The Dreamer Award from the Morehouse Manhattan Alumni Chapter, and the Alumnus of the Year Award from the Morehouse College National Alumni Association. He was also recognized as a Crain’s New York 2022 Notable Diverse Leader in Banking and Finance.

CANDLE IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND PHILANTHROPY DAVID J. GRAIN

Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Grain Management

David J. Grain is chief executive officer of the sector-focused private equity firm he founded, Grain Management LLC.

Established in 2007 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., Grain Management is a solutions provider to the global broadband industry. The firm serves some of the nation’s largest institutional investors and has consistently generated top quartile returns through a data-driven investment process and innovative financial structures that have transformed the communications industry.

Before founding the firm, Grain led Pinnacle Towers (later renamed Global Signal) from bankruptcy to being a successful IPO, transforming it into one of the largest independent wireless communication tower companies in the world. Prior to Global Signal, Grain served as senior vice president of AT&T Broadband’s New England Region and was an executive director in the High Yield Finance Department at Morgan Stanley.

In 2012, Grain was appointed to the board of directors of Southern Company, where he serves as lead independent director on the board of directors. He is also an independent director for Dell Technologies, director of New Fortress Energy, and a trustee of the Brookings Institution. In addition, Grain is a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a member of Business Executives for National Security, and a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

While he was in New England, the treasurer of Massachusetts named Grain to the state’s Pension Reserves Investment Management Board, overseeing the state’s employee pension fund; he subsequently chaired the Investment Committee. Grain received a Presidential Appointment to the National Infrastructure Advisory Council, where he chaired the Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience National R&D Plan. And in September 2009, Florida Gov. Charles Crist appointed Grain to the State Board of Administration’s Investment Advisory Council, where he served as chairman.

Numerous organizations have been the beneficiaries of Grain’s philanthropy, particularly in the areas of education, social justice, and the arts. He is a member of the advisory council of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, a member of the board of Martha’s Vineyard Museum, and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

David Grain earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the College of the Holy Cross, where he served for eight years as a trustee. He holds an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College, where he serves on the Board of Advisors.

CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT COURTNEY B. VANCE

Award-Winning Actor and Producer

Courtney B. Vance has carefully cultivated an extraordinary career that showcases his passion, talent, and intellect. Known for successfully finding the dignity and honor in each character he explores, this Harvard scholar and Yale School of Drama-trained actor is a powerful presence from the theatrical boards to the silver screen.

Vance’s stunning portrayal of Johnnie Cochran in FX’s “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” earned him Emmy, Critics Choice, and NAACP Image awards, as well as nominations for Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe honors. His role as the beloved and pivotal character “Uncle George” in HBO’s critically acclaimed drama horror series, “Lovecraft Country,” earned Vance an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, his second career Emmy win, as well as a Hollywood Critics Association nomination and a Black Reel TV Award.

He also starred in National Geographic’s “Genius: Aretha” in which he portrayed Aretha Franklin’s father, the Rev. C.L. Franklin. Vance was recognized with the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a TV Movie/Miniseries/Dramatic Special, with nominations from the Hollywood Critics Association, Critics Choice Awards, and Black Reel TV Awards.

His most recent project, AMC Network’s “61st Street,” is a criminal justice drama executive- produced by Michael B. Jordan and Alana Mayo of Outlier Society, from BAFTA-winner Peter Moffat. The project earned Vance an AAFCA TV Honors award. He also recently starred in the feature film “Heist 88,” from Bassett Vance Productions, the production company he co-founded with his wife, Angela Bassett.

Vance’s other recent films include the Universal/Will Packer romantic drama, “The Photograph,” with Issa Rae and LaKeith Stanfield, directed by Stella Meghie, as well as Netflix Originals’ “Uncorked,” with Niecy Nash and Mamoudou Athie.

His debut as Spc. Abraham “Doc” Johnson in “Hamburger Hill” launched a prolific cinematic career that includes historically noteworthy films, such as “The Hunt for Red October,” “The Preacher’s Wife,” “The Adventures of Huck Finn,” and “Terminator Genisys.”

On the stage, Vance received Tony Award nominations for his debut performance in August Wilson’s “Fences” and his starring role in “Six Degrees of Separation.” He won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his stellar performance in Nora Ephron’s “Lucky Guy.” Additionally, Vance earned a Grammy nomination for his narration of Neil deGrasse Tyson’s book “Accessory to War: The Unspoken Alliance Between Astrophysics and the Military.”

Notably, Vance is president of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation. Vance continues to: build on the foundation’s legacy of providing educational resources for people who are pursuing all forms of the performing arts; promote the children’s literacy program as an avenue to empower youth through storytelling; and lead the foundation’s Entertainment Industry Council, designed to support artists throughout their careers.

Bassett Vance Productions is in partnership with Paramount as part of an initiative to give more people of color and women an opportunity to direct made-for-television movies for its Entertainment and Youth Group. The production company’s first project, “One Thousand Years of Slavery,” aired in February 2022 on the Smithsonian Channel.

Vance is the recipient of an Excellence in Entertainment Honor from Bounce Trumpet Awards and is also a proud ambassador for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Saturday, February 18, 2023

7:30 p.m.