33RD ANNUAL
“A Candle in the Dark”
Gala A VIRTUAL EXPERIENCE
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33rd annual
“A Candle in the Dark” Gala CELEBRATING THE 154TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE COLLEGE’S FOUNDING & THE 2021 BENNIE AND CANDLE AWARD HONOREES
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2021 7:30 p.m.
Proudly Salutes
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© 2021 The Coca-Cola Company. All Rights Reserved.
and the 2021 Honorees
morehouse college
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Founders and Presidents FOUNDER William Jefferson White
ASSOCIATE FOUNDERS Richard C. Coulter & Edmund Turney
PRESIDENTS OF MOREHOUSE COLLEGE
Joseph T. Robert
1871–1884
Samuel Graves
George Sale
1885–1890
Benjamin E. Mays
Hugh M. Gloster ’31
1940–1967
1967–1987
Robert M. Franklin ’75
2007–2012
Samuel H. Archer
John Hope
1890–1906
1931–1937
1906–1931
Leroy Keith Jr. ’61
1987–1994
John Silvanus Wilson Jr. ’79
Walter E. Massey ’58
1995–2007
David A. Thomas
2013–2017
2018–
HELD THE OFFICE OF PRESIDENT WITH THE TITLE “ACTING” OR “INTERIM” David Foster Estes
Charles D. Hubert ’09
Willis B. Sheftall Jr. ’64
Michael E. Hodge
John Hope
Wiley A. Perdue ’57
William James Taggart
Harold L. Martin Jr. ’02
1884–1885 1906
1937–1940
1994–1995
2013
2017
2017 2017
2021 “a candle in the dark” gala
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THE POWER TO
grow growthrough throughinnovation innovation Bank of America is a proud sponsor of Morehouse College “A Candle in the Dark” Gala.
Bank of America is a proud sponsor of of Morehouse ColBuilding on legacy of Charles E. Merrill we believe in helping the students of today lege, Athe Candle in the DarkJr.,Gala.. become the leaders of tomorrow by supporting their educational goals. bankofamerica.com/careers Thank you Morehouse College, for cultivating an environment that educates, empowers, and supports the development of our next generation of black leaders. bankofamerica.com/careers
BOARD OF TRUSTEES MOREHOUSE COLLEGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES Billye S. Aaron
James “Jim” Dinkins
C. David Moody Jr. ’78
(Secretary) Partner Reed Smith LLP
Valerie Ervin
Avery A. Munnings ’86
James “Jim” Casselberry Jr.
Alan H. Fleischmann
Philanthropist
A. Scott Bolden ’84
Chief Investment Officer 4S Bay Partners LLC
Allen M. Chan
Executive Director Robertson Scholars
Delman L. Coates ’95
Senior Pastor Mt. Ennon Baptist Church
Marlon D. Cousin ’87
President, Morehouse College National Alumni Association Managing Partner, The Marquin Group
Christopher B. Cowan ’87
Managing Director Overseas Private Investment Corp.
Fmr. President, Coca-Cola North America The Coca-Cola Company President The Ray Charles Foundation Founder and CEO Laurel Strategies Inc.
Frederick S. Humphries Jr. ’83 Vice President,U.S. Government Affairs Microsoft Corp.
Samuel R. Johnson ’88 Partner Ernst & Young
Dale E. Jones ’82 President and CEO Diversified Search
Harold Martin Jr. ’02
CEO Taco Mac Restaurant Group
CEO C.D. Moody Construction Co. Inc. Partner Deloitte & Touche LLP
John L. Thornton (Vice Chairman) Executive Chairman Barrick Gold Corp.
F. Euclid Walker ’94
Managing Partner Parkway Investment Management LLC
John O’Neill
Stan Washington ’85
President, Central Region Cushman & Wakefield
Founder and CEO Pantheon Business Consulting
Verdun S. Perry ’94
Senior Managing Director and Global Head of Strategic Partners Blackstone
Alfredo Rivera
President, Coca-Cola North America The Coca-Cola Company
Beverly Daniel Tatum President Emerita Spelman College
Willie E. Woods ’85
(Chairman) President and Managing Partner ICV Partners
Dorothy Cowser Yancy (Assistant Secretary) President Emerita Johnson C. Smith University
Andrew Jackson Young Jr.
Richard Thaler Jr.
(Treasurer) Managing Partner Lieutenant Island Partners LLC
Founder Andrew J. Young Foundation
College Administrator/Ex-Officio Trustee David A. Thomas President Morehouse College
Faculty Trustees Melvin Foster
Duane M. Jackson ’74
Samuel Livingston ’03
Michael McGirt ’21
Olamide Fagbamiye ’22
James L. Hudson ’61
Otis Moss Jr. ’56
Charles G. Adams
James R. Hall ’57
Robert Levin
Benjamin A. Blackburn II ’61
Charles H. “Chuck” James ’81 (Posthumously)
Jim Moss ’70
Associate Provost for Student Success and Associate Professor of Voice
Professor of Psychology
Associate Professor of Africana Studies
Student Trustees Cameron Nolan ’21 89th President SGA
Senior Board of Trustees Representative SGA
Junior Board of Trustees Representative SGA
Chairmen Emeriti Robert C. Davidson Jr. ’67
Trustees Emeriti John A. Wallace
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2021 GALA SPONSORS FOUNDER’S DAY LEGACY SPONSORS
PLATINUM SPONSORS
GOLD SPONSOR
SILVER SPONSORS
BRONZE SPONSORS
CORPORATE SPONSORS
GALA TRIBUTE AD SPONSORS
Class of 1998 Class of 1991 8
morehouse college
Class of 2000
Sebastian Ridley Thomas ’09
Ashley Joyner Chavous
2021 GALA PATRONS Anonymous
Todd Collins ’95
Jason Ingram ’06
Lawson Paolini
Billye Suber Aaron
Mattie Peterson Compton
Chris Jackson ’10
Kevin Parker ’99
Edward Abrams ’63
Raymond Connell ’99
Lillian Jackson ’10
Francello Phillips-Calhoun
Kimberly Alexander
Nina Cunningham
Whitney Jackson
Rudolph Pierson ’05
Stephen Alford ’93
Patricia Curry
Rob Jacobs ’89
Willie Arnold Pindle ’74
Victoria Ali
Valerie Dalton
William James ’67
Julius Pryor ’79
Chris Allen ’01
Robert C. Davidson ’67
Charles Johnson ’82
Shelly Pullian
Nelson Allen ’98
Dorothy Davis
Michael E. Johnson ’87
Adrienne Raiford
Derek Alphran ’75
James Earl Davis ’83
Donna Johnson Harvey
Eric Ramsey ’88
Jeffrey Anderson ’97
Phillip N. Davis Sr. ’57
Agai Jones ’95
Walter Reid ’81
Leroy Anderson Jr. ’82
Richele and Daryl E. Davis ’92
Chris Jones ’99
John Rhea ’90
Dwight Andrews
Simone Davis
Pamela and Theodore Jones ’78
Janice Riley-Burt and Rodney Burt
Wilton DeVonn Baker ’91
Jerry Dickerson
Walter Jones, Sr. ’75
Mack Roach III ’75
Cheryl Baker-Hill
Steve Drescher
Yolanda and Dale Jones ’82
Mark Ross ’90
Glenn Baldwin ’05
Quardricos Driskell ’05
Wilbur Jordan
Vernon Ross ’08
Terrence Battle ’04
Jonathan Dudley ’04
Ashley Joyner
Charlie Rouse ’84
Rahmad Bauldrick ’99
Patricia Duncan
Shannon Joyner ’08
Francis Rozier
Lorenzo Ball ’97
Roderick Edmond ’83
Kenneth Julian
David Satcher ’63
Leonte Benton ’10
Jason K. Edwards ’99
Andre Kearns ’94
Michael Scott ’18
Aty Biswese ’03
Javarro Edwards ’93
Donna Kiel
Marcus Shaw ’99
Ben Blackburn III ’93
Lindsay Edwards ’ 00
Kings Against Violence Initiative
Joi Griffin Showell
Kenneth Blackledge II ’98
Jon Eldridge Sr. ’96
Vernell Kimbrough ’82
Ulanda Simpson
Phyllisa Blake
Aaron Ellison ’98
Frederick Knight ’92
Daphne Smith
Maia Blankenship
Scott Ellison ’90
Devon Lambert ’13
Lydell Smith ’10
A. Scott Bolden ’84
Stephen Epps
Candace Lawson
Rudolph Smith ’67
Tammy and Robert H. Bolton ’86
Ronald Caishe Falls Jr. ’00
Christopher Lesesne ’08
Louis Sullivan ’54
Marian Bonner
Bradley Farrar ’91
Katina Lett
Aaron Swain ’86
S. Courtney Booker III ’86
Rudy & Maxine Fears
Todd Leverette ’08
Eric Tait ’98
Herman Bostick ’49
William “Marty” Ferguson ’91
Rob Levin
Ernest Tate ’77
Antoine Britt ’16
Harvey Fields ’82
Michael Lindsay ’75
Beverly Daniel Tatum
Ernest Brooks ’05
Christopher Ford ’12
Donald Long ’69
Juan Thomas ’92
Kendrick Brown
Derek Fordjour ’01
Sharon and Audley Mackel ’77
Richard Thaler Jr.
Kenneth Brown ’91
Michelle Francis
Na’im Madyun
Sebastian Ridley Thomas ’09
Leslie Brown Vincent
Lionell Gaines ’13
Kelvin Magee
Miles Tucker
Denice Brue-Clopton
Maurice B. Gilbert ’83
Charlene and Troy Maier
Khalil Umrani ’05
George Bugg
Patricia and Henry M. Goodgame ’84
Richard Makerson ’03
Emanuel Waddell ’91
Robert L. Buffalo Jr. ’75
Yvonne Gloster
Seith Mann ’95
Euclid Walker ’94
Bradley Byrd
Ali Gordon ’97
Sam Martin ’68
George Walker ’91
Rupert Byrdsong ’91
Robert Gore ’98
Shirley and Walter Massey ’58
Kelvin Walker ’84
John Calhoun ’90
Calvin Graves ’73
Chrystal McArthur
Terry Walker Sr. ’89
James Campbell ’72
Gordon Greenwood ’85
Quinton McArthur ’01
David Ward ’07
Garry Capers ’98
Ken Grimes ’90
Lester McCorn ’88
Damon Watson ’01
Hernando Carter ’01
Anthony Haile ’01
James McCray, Jr. ’73
John Watson ’87
Patricia M. Carr
Barbara Hall
Karen Miller
Charles West ’66
Joshua Carter
Terence Hassan ’79
Julie Sills Molock
Wesley White ’06
Sean Cherry ’05
Kevin Hatcher ’96
VaNorris Moore ’11
Delmar Whittington ’96
Kevin Clements ’78
Cameron Hawkins ’05
Edwin Moses ’78
Brandon Williams ’05
Daron Coates ’88
Greg Head ’80
Winifride Mwebesa
Brent Wilson ’74
Jason Cobb ’02
Darren Hicks ’04
Stewart Myers ’89
John C. Wilson ’81
Julius Coles ’63
DiJon Hill ’10
Clarissa Myrick-Harris
Lana and Willie Woods ’85
Kristopher Colley ’78
Kamau Hixon ’05
Earl Nero ’72
Robert Yancy ’74
Kristopher Colley II ’15
Barby Holloman
Sebenza Nkomo ’99
Marshalyn Yeargin-Allsopp
Kyle Colley ’18
Charles Huddleston
Ed Norwood ’91
Peter & Keita Young
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m ast e r of c e re monie s
Comedian, Actor, Producer, and Humanitarian
C
hris Tucker is an award-winning actor and comedian who became a favorite on HBO’s “Def Comedy Jam” in the 1990s, starred in the 1995 cult classic “Friday” alongside Ice Cube, and became well-known for playing the role of brash detective James Carter in the “Rush Hour” films.
Tucker was born in Atlanta in 1971, and raised in nearby Decatur, Georgia. Growing up, he enjoyed performing for his family and friends. He took part in school talent competitions—he was named “Most Humorous” at Columbia High School—and became a local celebrity after receiving a standing ovation at a Metro Atlanta comedy club. Inspired by comedians such as Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor, Tucker decided to take up comedy as a career. He moved to Los Angeles at 18 to get established, and after performing locally, he got the chance to showcase his talent as a stand-up comedian in “Def Comedy Jam.” He appeared several times on the TV series “Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper,” and made his film debut in 1994’s “House Party III.” Film successes followed in movies such as “Dead Presidents,” “Panther,” and “Rush Hour.” Tucker has won several acting awards such as the 1999 MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo (with Jackie Chan), and Favorite Male Movie Star from the Kids’ Choice Awards (2002). The actor took a break from films for several years in the 2000s, returning in 2012’s “Silver Linings Playbook.” He performed as himself in the Netflix stand-up special “Chris Tucker Live” in 2015, showcasing his comedic talents while sharing his experiences from childhood to the big time. And in 2016, Tucker played the role of Albert in the war drama “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk.” Outside of comedy, Tucker is a dedicated humanitarian, working mainly through his Chris Tucker Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to making a positive impact in the lives of young people and families locally, nationally, and internationally. He has also supported many charitable organizations, such as the American Foundation for AIDS Research, US Doctors for Africa, and Britticares International. Tucker has a son, Destin Tucker, now a senior at Morehouse College.
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Gala
“A Candle in the Dark” PROGRAM
Call to Celebration & Introduction of Master of Ceremonies Chris Tucker Comedian, Actor, Producer, and Humanitarian Master of Ceremonies
Greetings Willie E. Woods ’85
Chairman, Morehouse College Board of Trustees
David A. Thomas
President, Morehouse College
Legacy Sponsor Remarks Terrance Herron Senior Director, Government Affairs, Microsoft
Student Testimonial Jason Lett ’22
Musical Presentation (Gala Archives) Stevie Wonder Grammy Award-winning Recording Artist and 2014 Candle in Arts and Entertainment
The Bennie Awards bennie achievement: Gordon L. Joyner ’72 bennie service: Robert “Rob” Gore, M.D. ’98 bennie trailblazer: Raphael G. Warnock ’91
Memorial Tribute music by
Jimmy King ’11 and Christopher Stanley ’11
The Candle Awards candle in law and innovation: Kenneth C. Frazier candle in education and philanthropy: Darren Walker candle in business, arts and entertainment: Byron Allen
Student Appeal Alexandre Hurley ’22
Closing Remarks President Thomas
The College Hymn “Dear Old Morehouse” – J.O.B. Moseley ’29
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2021
33rd
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Gala
“A Candle in the Dark”
The Bennie Award The Bennie Award, one of the highest honors that Morehouse bestows on its alumni, is named for one of the College’s most revered Presidents, Dr. Benjamin Elijah Mays, who served from 1940 to 1967. His legacy lives on in the College’s international stature and in the success of its alumni.
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Gala
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
Gordon L. Joyner ’72 Owner, The Law Offices of Gordon L. Joyner Fmr. Executive Director/Administrator, State of Georgia Civil Rights Department, Georgia Commission on Equal Opportunity
During his career, Gordon Lane Joyner has been selected for positions in government leadership by two U.S Presidents, five Georgia governors, two Atlanta mayors, and the voters of Fulton County, Georgia. A distinguished civil rights attorney, Joyner, for example, has served as executive director of the Georgia Commission on Equal Opportunity, which enforces Georgia’s statutes against housing and employment discrimination. Joyner was born and raised in Fort Valley, Georgia. He grew up on a farm, and at 16 started the local civil rights movement in Peach County, successfully leading efforts to integrate the public school system. He also spent time in Atlanta during his childhood, ultimately choosing to attend Morehouse College because Martin Luther King Jr. had gone there. Joyner, salutatorian of the Class of 1972, graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, with majors in business administration/economics and political science. During his four years at Morehouse, Joyner also worked at the newly established Martin Luther King Jr. Center in Atlanta, and was a personal assistant to the center’s founder, Coretta Scott King. Joyner earned his Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School, and after graduation became an associate in the firm now known as Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP. He later relocated to Washington, D.C., working for the American Bar Association, and serving in the administrations of Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. As director of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Fair Housing Enforcement (FHEO), Joyner helped to coordinate the federal
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government’s nationwide effort to combat discrimination in housing. He also served as: a member of the White House Task Force on Fair Housing Legislation; acting deputy assistant secretary for enforcement in FHEO; and attorneyadvisor to the assistant secretary. After returning to Atlanta, Joyner resumed full-time law practice, and later served as a judge on the Atlanta Municipal Court, chairman and chief registrar of the Fulton County Board of Elections and Voter Registration, and an elected commissioner on the Fulton County Board of Commissioners (four terms). Joyner is a well-known speaker and has been featured in many publications, such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, as well as Jet and Ebony magazines. He has served on boards at Friendship Baptist Church, the Atlanta NAACP, the Governor’s Commission on Local Governance, the Family Advisory Committee of the Atlanta History Center, and other organizations. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., as well as Ebenezer Baptist Church, the home church of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Joyner’s recognition and awards include: the Thurgood Marshall Award for achievements as a civil rights lawyer; the Atlanta Business League’s Men of Influence award; a Justice Robert F. Benham Community Service Award; and inclusion on the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame. Fulton County, Georgia, citizens also named a downtown Atlanta bridge for Joyner to recognize his public service, and Morehouse College dedicated the student lounge in the Walter E. Massey Leadership Center building in Joyner’s name, and in his honor.
Gala BENNIE SERVICE
Robert “Rob” Gore, M.D. ’98 Physician and Founder, Kings Against Violence Initiative Inc.
Robert “Rob” Gore, M.D., is a dynamic lecturer, speaker, activist, and emergency medicine physician based in Brooklyn, New York, his hometown. He is currently an attending physician and clinical assistant professor at Kings County Hospital–SUNY (State University of New York) Downstate Department of Emergency Medicine in Brooklyn.
community health equity through tech and design. He is also the founder and director of the Minority Medical Student Emergency Medicine Summer Fellowship, a mentoring and enrichment program for under-represented minorities interested in emergency medicine with a focus on project development.
Growing up in Brooklyn, and returning to his neighborhood to practice emergency medicine, has given Gore a unique perspective on health and wellness—and his story embodies the true definition of coming “full circle.”
Since 2008, Gore has also been a consultant for Clinique Espérance et Vie in Terrier Rouge, which works toward establishing a regional healthcare system in the northern part of Haiti. In addition, he is on the advisory board for EMEDEX International, a non-profit organization dedicated to the global promotion and advancement of emergency medicine, disaster management and public health.
Gore left New York after high school to attend Morehouse College, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1998. He earned his doctor of medicine degree from SUNY at Buffalo, finished his emergency medicine residency training at Cook County Hospital in Chicago, and for four years was the assistant program director for the Kings County-SUNY Downstate Emergency Medicine Residency Program (the largest emergency medicine training program in the United States). For some 20 years, Dr. Gore has explored and developed— in both his personal life and professional career—programs and solutions focusing on community violence, and other disparities affecting urban and global health. He is, for example, the founder of the Kings Against Violence Initiative (KAVI). The youth violence intervention, prevention, and empowerment program targets teens who have been injured because of violence or who are at risk for violent, and recurrent, injury. Gore is co-chair of the Health Tech and Innovation Division at SUNY Downstate-Kings County Department of Emergency Medicine, focusing on improving
Gore’s recognition and awards include being a member of the 2016 inaugural class of the TED Residents program (an incubator for breakthrough ideas), and in 2018 being selected as one of the CNN Heroes, a group that includes humanitarians from around the world. In addition, Gore is a 2018 Presidential Leadership Scholar. This leadership program for people doing social impact work is coordinated by the presidential libraries of past U.S. Presidents William Clinton, George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon Johnson. Gore’s engaging speaking style and comprehensive insights have made him a highly sought-after speaker and educator who has trained physicians, health professionals, activists, and students from around the world. He has lectured in the United States, the Caribbean, Canada, Australia, South America, and Asia, and worked in East Africa, Haiti, and South America.
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Gala
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER
Raphael G. Warnock ’91 U.S. Senator (Georgia) Senior Pastor, Ebenezer Baptist Church
On Jan. 20, 2021, the Rev. Dr. Raphael G. Warnock was sworn in as a U.S. senator from the state of Georgia. He is the first African American to represent Georgia in the U.S. Senate.
Warnock is a Lifetime Member of the NAACP. He belongs to Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., and the 100 Black Men of Atlanta Inc. And in 2016, his footprints were placed on the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame in Atlanta.
Born in Savannah, Georgia, Warnock earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology, cum laude, from Morehouse College in 1991. He went on to earn master’s degrees and a doctorate from Union Theological Seminary in New York City, graduating with honors and distinctions.
Among his many honors, Warnock has been recognized as: one of “Atlanta’s 55 Most Powerful” by Atlanta Magazine; one of the “New Kingdom Voices” by Gospel Today Magazine; a “Good Shepherd” by Associated Black Charities; one of the “Chosen Pastors” by the Gospel Choice Awards; and “A Man of Influence” by the Atlanta Business League.
The son of two Pentecostal pastors, Warnock responded to the call of ministry at a young age. In 2005, he became the youngest person ever called to the senior pastorate of Ebenezer Baptist Church, spiritual home of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a 1948 Morehouse graduate. Under Warnock’s leadership, thousands of new members have joined the historic church, founded in 1886. As an opinion leader, Warnock’s perspective has been sought by electronic and print media, locally, nationally, and internationally. His work has been featured, for example, in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and on CNN and the CBS Evening News. He is also the author of the book “The Divided Mind of the Black Church: Theology, Piety & Public Witness” (NYU Press, 2013).
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He is a recipient of the Rev. Dr. William A. Jones Justice Award from the National Action Network, and the National TRIO Achiever Award, and was inducted into the Martin Luther King Jr. Board of Preachers. Warnock is a graduate of: The Leadership, a program sponsored by the Greater Baltimore Committee; Harvard Divinity School’s Summer Leadership Institute; and Leadership Atlanta. Warnock is the father of a daughter, Chloé, and a son, Caleb.
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Merck congratulates this year’s Morehouse College Honorees “Together, our individual sparks can ignite a brilliant flame, one that will lessen the darkness and lead the way for those who don’t yet have the privilege of opportunity.” Kenneth C. Frazier Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Merck Merck congratulates this year’s Morehouse College Honorees, including our Chairman and CEO Kenneth C. Frazier on receiving the Candle Award in Law and Innovation. Thank you for leading by example and personifying how change starts with us.
Copyright © 2021 Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. All rights reserved.
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Gala
“A Candle in the Dark”
The Candle Award For 154 years, Morehouse College as been a beacon of light and a source of knowledge to the global community. The Candle Award recognizes outstanding non-alumni who are exemplary in their professions and are committed to excellence, community service, and leadership, the values taught at Morehouse College.
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Gala
CANDLE IN LAW AND INNOVATION
Kenneth C. Frazier Chairman, President and CEO, Merck
Kenneth C. Frazier has served as the chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Merck & Co. Inc. since 2011. A native of Philadelphia, Frazier has said that the late Justice Thurgood Marshall was one of his heroes growing up. He received his bachelor’s degree from The Pennsylvania State University and holds a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School. Frazier worked for the Philadelphia law firm of Drinker Biddle & Reath after graduation from law school, and joined Merck & Co. in 1992. At Merck, Frazier has held positions of increasing responsibility, including general counsel and president. Under his leadership, Merck has substantially increased its investment in research, while refocusing on the launch and growth of key products that provide benefit to society. He has also led the formation of philanthropic and other initiatives that build on Merck’s 125-year plus legacy. Frazier’s contributions in the legal, business, and humanitarian fields, have been widely recognized. He was included in Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People of 2018” issue, and that same year was named one of the “World’s Greatest Leaders” by Fortune Magazine. As a strong advocate for social justice and economic inclusion, Frazier is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including: the Anti-Defamation League’s Courage Against Hate Award; the Columbia Business School’s Botwinick Prize in Business Ethics; a Yale School of
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Management Legend in Leadership Award; the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund National Equal Justice Award; the National Minority Quality Forum’s Lifetime Achievement Award; the Penn State Alumni Fellow Award; the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Excellence in Corporate Practice Award; and the Equal Justice Initiative’s Equal Justice Champion Award. In 2019, Frazier became the first recipient of the Forbes Lifetime Achievement Award for Healthcare. Frazier sits on the boards of PhRMA, Weill Cornell Medicine, Exxon Mobil Corp., Catalyst, and Cornerstone Christian Academy in Philadelphia. He is also the cofounder and co-chair of OneTen, a coalition of leading organizations committed to upskilling, hiring, and promoting 1 million Black Americans into familysustaining jobs. OneTen is committed to facilitating a meaningful, measurable, and lasting impact on racial and economic justice. Frazier is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, The Business Council, the Council of The American Law Institute, and the American Bar Association. Additionally, he serves as cochair of the Legal Services Corporation’s Leaders Council He is married to Andrea Frazier, and the couple has two children.
Gala
CANDLE IN EDUCATION AND PHILANTHROPY
Darren Walker President and CEO, Ford Foundation
Darren Walker is president of the Ford Foundation, a $13-billion international social justice philanthropy. Under his leadership, the Ford Foundation became the first nonprofit in U.S. history to issue a $1-billion designated social bond in U.S. capital markets for proceeds to strengthen and stabilize non-profit organizations in the wake of COVID-19.
Walker serves on many boards, including those at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the National Gallery of Art, Carnegie Hall, the High Line, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. In the summer of 2020, he was also appointed to the boards of Square Inc. and Ralph Lauren Corp.
Before joining Ford, Walker was a vice president at the Rockefeller Foundation, overseeing global and domestic programs. And in the 1990s, he served as COO of the Abyssinian Development Corp., Harlem’s largest community development organization.
He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and is the recipient of 16 honorary degrees and university awards, including Harvard University’s W.E.B. Du Bois Medal.
Walker is a member of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Reimagine New York Commission, and co-chair of New York City’s Census 2020. He also chaired the philanthropy committee that brought a resolution to the city of Detroit’s historic bankruptcy. Currently, Walker co-chairs New York City’s Mayoral Advisory Commission on City Art, Monuments, and Markers, and has served on the Independent Commission on New York City Criminal Justice and Incarceration Reform, as well as the U.N. International Labour Organization Global Commission on the Future of Work. He also co-founded both the U.S. Impact Investing Alliance and the Presidents’ Council on Disability Inclusion in Philanthropy.
Educated exclusively in public schools, Walker was a member of the first Head Start class in 1965 and received bachelor’s degrees and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Texas at Austin. He has been named to numerous leadership lists, including: the Time magazine annual 100 Most Influential People list, Rolling Stone’s 25 People Shaping the Future, Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business, and Ebony’s Power 100. Most recently, Walker was named Wall Street Journal’s 2020 Philanthropy Innovator.
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Gala
CANDLE IN BUSINESS, ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Bryon Allen Founder, Chairman and CEO, Allen Media Group Media Mogul, Philanthropist
Comedian, producer, media mogul, and philanthropist Byron Allen founded his Los Angeles-based global media company, Entertainment Studios, in 1993. The company is the first African American-owned, multi-platform media studio producing and distributing wide-release motion pictures and content for all platforms. Byron Allen was born in Detroit, moved to Los Angeles when he was 8, and often accompanied his mother, an NBC-TV tour guide, to work. That gave the youngster a remarkable opportunity to meet popular comedians such as Gabe Kaplan and Redd Foxx, and become familiar with the sets for shows like “The Tonight Show,” where he would later perform as a comedian. Allen began appearing as a comedian at amateur nights when growing up, and then performed in clubs like the Comedy Store. He made his debut on network TV on “The Tonight Show” on May 17, 1979, when he was 18. And after graduating from high school, he attended the University of Southern California. During Allen’s career, he has written for TV shows, such as “Good Times,” co-hosted the show “Real People,” hosted and produced his own talk show, “The Byron Allen Show,”
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and made many other television appearances. He’s opened for Kenny Rogers in Las Vegas, made his acting debut in 1988 in the movie “Case Closed,” and formed his own production and distribution companies. Today, Allen owns one of the largest cable network portfolios in the industry, featuring ten, 24-hour HD television networks, including The Weather Channel, Comedy.TV, and JusticeCentral.TV. The company produces and distributes Emmy Award-winning and nominated shows, and has one of the largest libraries of family and advertiser-friendly lifestyle content in the world. And his Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures, a full-service theatrical movie distribution company, released 2017’s highest-grossing independent movie, the shark thriller “47 Meters Down.” When inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Broadcast Hall of Fame in 2019, Allen said his global media company would continue to aggressively search for new opportunities to grow through strategic operations.
congr at u lat i on s to o u r b rothe r and i ns pi rati o n
Rob G ore ’98 m.d. on r e ce i v i n g mo r eh o u s e c o l l eg e’ s b e n n ie s erv ic e awa r d w e ce le b r ate yo u r ex c el l enc e a nd a r e i n s p i r ed b y yo u r ex a mp l e. from yo u r b roth er s f ro m
The Class of 2000 23 Untitled-4 1
2/10/2021 1:02:55 PM
2021 GALA PRESENTERS & COMMITTEE Gala Presenters Master of Ceremonies Chris Tucker introduced by Artimus Daniel Cunningham ’21 English, Chicago Ill.
Bennie Trailblazer Award Recipient Raphael G. Warnock ’91 introduced by Roderick Hart III ’22 Political Science, Silver Springs, Md.
Candle in Business, Arts and Entertainment Award Recipient Byron Allen introduced by Miles Edward Dinnis Johnson ’21 Physics and Mandarin Chinese Studies, Charlotte, N.C.
Bennie Achievement Award Recipient Gordon L. Joyner ’72 introduced by Malik Mansour Saafir ’21 Computer Science, Snellville, Ga.
Candle in Law and Innovation Award Recipient Kenneth C. Frazier introduced by Jalen Khalil Curry ’22 Political Science, Rock Hill, S.C.
Bennie Service Award Recipient Robert “Rob” Gore M.D. ’98 introduced by Guyton Patrick Harvey ’21 Chemistry, Washington, D.C.
Candle in Education and Philanthropy Award Recipient Darren Walker introduced by George Anthony Pratt ’23 History and Religion, Jacksonville, Fla.
Student Appeal Alexandre Hurley ’21 Business Administration, Atlanta, Ga.
Judy Davis Carroll Gala Consultant Chief Operating Officer r.h. bolton inc.
Raymond Oglesby Manager of Video Content office of marketing & communications
Student Testimonial Jason Lett ’22 Biology, Johns Creek, Ga.
Steering Commiteee Henry M. Goodgame Jr. ’84 Chair, Founder’s Week Planning Committee Vice President office of external relations and alumni engagement Ardis Maria Blanchard Director of Partnerships and Gala Sponsorships office of external relations
Kennard Garrett ’01 Director of Media Services office of external relations Ibiyomi Jegede Creative Director office of marketing & communications
Chimere Stanford Internal Communications Manager office of marketing & communications
Yergan C. Jones ’84 President aee productions
Kara Walker Executive Director of Web/Social and Human Rights Film Festival office of marketing & communications
Jose Mallabo Vice President of Strategic Marketing Communications and Admissions and Chief Marketing/Revenue Officer office of marketing & communications
Terry F. Walker ’89 Convocation Coordinator and Director of Chapel Relations martin luther king jr. international chapel Travis Walters Faculty Communications Manager office of marketing & communications
Michael J. Carswell
Jatika Manigault Executive Assistant Honoree Logistics Administrator office of external relations
Joshua Carter
Cedric Mobley AVP of Marketing Communications office of marketing & communications
Leah Creque
Christopher Moore Photographer christopher moore media
Kimberly M. Brown Executive Assistant to the Dean, Chapel Office Manager, & Director of Chapel Arts Ministries martin luther king jr. international chapel Lalohni Campbell Speech Writer and Gala Presenters’ Coach President per/se media group
Joseph Carlos III ’04
Senior Director of Content Marketing Strategy office of marketing & communications President Mathes Event Productions AVP for Administartive Services and Chief Annual Giving Officer office of institutional advancement Chair, Otis Moss Jr. and Otis Moss III Oratorical Contest Director howard thurman honors program
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Peggy J. Shaw Editor wren cottage writing & editing
morehouse college
David E. Morrow ’80 Professor of Music and Director, Morehouse College Glee Club music department
Nakia Washington Senior Executive Assistant office of the president Stephanie Whittaker Administrative Assistant music department
The Gala of Galas Morehouse knew it needed to enhance its annual Founder’s Day celebration when alumni and friends of the College expressed the need for a formal, elaborate and celebratory fundraising event to draw them back to the College. Atlanta residents and local corporations, as well as members of the philanthropic community, were continually flooded with invitations from non-profit organizations requesting their participation in fundraisers, so Morehouse needed to launch a unique, memorable event. It was imperative that the Morehouse College family did all it could to make its event stand out by conveying several special facts about the College, such as: • Morehouse, founded in 1867, is the nation’s only predominantly Black, all-male institution; and • The College is noted for its legacy of producing graduates who have become leaders in a variety of fields. Despite the disheartening statistics regarding the plight of Black males, Morehouse continues to attract many of the nation’s brightest Black male students and provides an environment that is academically challenging and socially enriching. Morehouse is committed to raising funds to ensure that a college education remains attainable for qualified Black male youths who are financially disadvantaged. In 1988, alumni Robert H. Bolton ’86 and Hardy R. Franklin Jr. ’83, who were members of the College’s development
team, conceived the idea for the “A Candle in the Dark” Gala. With the support of President Leroy Keith ’61 and Richard A. Ammons, the institution’s vice president for development, plans were developed to unveil the Gala on Feb. 18, 1989, as a part of the College’s 122nd Founder’s Day Celebration. The Gala is named for the official history book of Morehouse, written by alumnus Edward A. Jones ’26. The black-tie affair was designed to highlight the College’s traditional mission of producing leaders, pay tribute to nationally acclaimed Black leaders who are considered giants in their respective fields, and showcase the talents and oratorical skills of Morehouse students. It would also serve as one of the College’s major annual fundraising activities, with the goal of attracting approximately 1,000 guests, and generating revenue for the institution’s endowed scholarship fund. Honorees would be presented with either a “Bennie” or “Candle” Award. Atlantabased artist Lev. T. Mills was commissioned to design what would become two of the nation’s most coveted awards. The late Mordecai Etchison Jr. sculpted the initial awards. Today, each award is individually hand-sculpted by renowned Lillie Glass Blowers in Smyrna, Georgia. “Bennie” recipients, who must be graduates of the College, receive recognition in the categories of service, achievement, and trailblazing. The award is named in honor of Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, who served as Morehouse President from 1940 to 1967, and is considered a legend among all alumni.
“Candle” recipients are honored for excellence in a variety of fields including the arts, athletics, business, education, entertainment, government, law, medicine, the military, religion, and science and technology. In 1989, the “A Candle in the Dark” Gala was recognized as the most outstanding special event in Georgia and presented with the “Phoenix Award for Excellence” by the Public Relations Society of America, Georgia Chapter. Since the first “A Candle in the Dark” Gala, the College has presented “Bennie” and “Candle” Awards to 207 talented individuals from a wide variety of fields. In 1998, alumnus Henry M. Goodgame ’84, in his capacity as director of alumni relations, the annual fund and special events, began providing the direction and coordination for the Founder’s Day and Gala planning activities. He leads a college-wide team of dedicated staff to take the award-winning Gala to new heights of excellence. Indeed, the Gala has become a signature event for Morehouse, Atlanta, and the nation. In 2004, Morehouse officials had the distinction of presenting the first Candle Award to an outstanding African American woman, Oprah Winfrey. College friends, supporters, and alumni await with great anticipation their annual invitation for the “A Candle in the Dark” Gala. Since its inception, the Gala has grossed more than $27 million, with net proceeds benefiting the Morehouse College General Scholarship Fund.
2021 “a candle in the dark” gala
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MOREHOUSE COLLEGE
ET FA C TA ES
“There is an air of expectancy at Morehouse. It is exp is also expected that once a man bears the insignia of a M
T L U X
33rd annual
Gala
“A Candle in the Dark”
pected that the student who enters here will do well. It Morehouse graduate, he will do exceptionally well...” — Benjamin E. Mays, President, Morehouse College, Excerpt from charge to the Graduating Class of 1961
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Advancing Leaders. Transforming Organizations. We believe that great leadership transforms people, organizations, and the world. Around the world, Morehouse College is recognized for producing influential leaders within its ranks of alumni and we are no stranger to the exceptional talent hailing from Morehouse. We’ve been identifying, assessing, and placing outstanding executives for more than 45 years, across the nation and in the global marketplace. We applaud the 2020 1 BEN N I E AND CA AN ND DLLEE H H O N O R E E SS for your inspirational achievements.
ATLANTA • BOSTON • CHICAGO • DALLAS-FORT WORTH MIAMI • NEW YORK • PHILADELPHIA • ST. LOUIS SAN FRANCISCO • SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA • WASHINGTON, DC
DIVERSIFIEDSEARCH.COM
THE AMERICAS | EMEA | ASIA PACIFIC
Dale E. Jones, ‘82 Chief Executive Officer, Diversified Search
Past Bennie and Candle Honorees NOTE: Career title at time of recognition
2020 BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT Verdun Perry ’94 Senior Managing Director and Global Head of Strategic Partners Blackstone
BENNIE LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE Admiral Alvin Holsey ’88 Rear Admiral and Commander Commander, Strike Group One U.S. Navy
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER Eddie Glaude, Ph.D. ’89 Chair, African American Studies Program James S. McDonnell Distinguished Professor of African American Studies Princeton University
CANDLE IN MISSION AND MINISTRY Lawrence Edward Carter Sr., Ph.D. Founding Dean, Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel Author, Archivist, College Curator and Professor of Religion Morehouse College
CANDLE IN BUSINESS Adebayo Ogunlesi Chairman and Managing Partner Global Infrastructure Partners
CANDLE IN ART, HISTORY AND CULTURE Lonnie G. Bunch III Director, National Museum of African American History and Culture 14th Secretary of the Smithsonian
2019 BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT Steve Pamon ’91 President & CEO Parkwood Entertainment
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER F. DuBois Bowman ’92 12th Dean, University of Michigan School of Public Health Tenured Professor of Biostatistics
CANDLE IN BUSINESS Ray M. Robinson Retired President, AT&T Southern Region Chairman of the Board, Citizens Trust Bank
CANDLE IN LAW AND BUSINESS Jeffrey Harleston General Counsel and Executive Vice President of Business & Legal Affairs for North America Universal Music Group
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Norm Nixon Two-time NBA World Champion & NBA All-Star Accomplished Businessman and Humanitarian
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morehouse college
CANDLE IN SCIENCE AND INNOVATION N. Anthony Coles Chairman & CEO Yumanity Therapeutics LLC
2018 BENNIE SERVICE William T. McDaniel Jr. ’67 Professor Emeritus of Music and African American & African Studies, The Ohio State University
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT Emmett D. Carson ’81
2016 BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT Rufus H. Rivers ’86 Managing Partner, RLJ Equity Partners
BENNIE LEADERSHIP Joseph L. Press III ’84 Senior Division Sales Manager, Ethicon Inc. Johnson & Johnson
BENNIE SERVICE Robert E. Steele ’65
Chief Executive Officer, President, and Director, Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Founding Executive Director David C. Driskell Center University of Maryland, College Park
BENNIE LEADERSHIP Cedric I. Richmond ’95
CANDLE IN BUSINESS AND LAW Christopher P. Reynolds
U.S. Representative Louisiana’s 2nd Congressional District
Chief Legal Officer Toyota Motor North America
CANDLE IN BUSINESS William M. Lewis Jr.
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Richard Roundtree
Managing Director and Co-Chairman Investment Banking at Lazard Freres & Co. LLC
CANDLE IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Oz Scott Celebrated Director and Producer
CANDLE IN BUSINESS AND PHILANTHROPY Robert F. Smith Founder, Chairman and CEO, Vista Equity Partners
2017 BENNIE SERVICE Jonathan L. Walton ’96 Plummer Professor of Christian Morals at Harvard Divinity School & Pusey Minister in the Memorial Church at Harvard
BENNIE LEADERSHIP Theodore Colbert III ’96 Chief Information Officer & Senior Vice President of Information Technology, Boeing Co.
CANDLE IN MUSIC, BUSINESS AND ENTERTAINMENT Jon Platt Chairman & CEO, Music Publisher, Warner/Chappell Music
CANDLE IN PHILANTHROPY, ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Usher Raymond
Award-Nominated Actor
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN CIVIL RIGHTS AND PUBLIC SERVICE John Lewis * U.S. House of Representatives Georgia’s 5th Congressional District
2015 BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT Paul Q. Judge ’98 Technology Entrepreneur
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER Eugene V. Wade Jr. ’92 Education Entrepreneur CEO, University Now
CANDLE IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP Robert B. Crews Jr. CEO Airport Retail Management (ARM)
CANDLE IN BUSINESS Thomas A. Moorehead Owner, BMW/Rolls-Royce Dealership
CANDLE IN SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Grant H. Hill Former NBA All-Star Player and Real Estate Investment Firm Owner
New Look Foundation Acclaimed Singer, Dancer, Actor, Producer, Philanthropist
2014
CANDLE IN PHILANTHROPY, ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Tyler Perry
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT James H. Shelton III ’89
Owner, The Tyler Perry Co. Inc. Actor, Director, Screenwriter, Producer, Playwright, Author, Philanthropist
Acting Deputy Secretary U.S. Department of Education
Past Bennie and Candle Honorees BENNIE SERVICE Donald L. Hense ’70
CANDLE IN EDUCATION Robert M. Franklin, Ph.D. ’75
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT Julius E. Coles ’63
Educator, Founder and CEO of the Friendship Public Charter School
10th President, Morehouse College and Distinguished Professor
Internationally-renowned Career Minister and Foreign Service Officer (USAID) Immediate Past President, Africare
BENNIE LEADERSHIP John E. Williams ’69
CANDLE IN HUMANITARIAN SERVICE AND BUSINESS Earl W. Stafford Sr.
Former Division Dean, Interim Provost and Professor Emeritus at Morehouse College
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER Reginald C. Lindsay ’67 (Posthumously) Attorney and Former U.S. District Judge (Massachusetts)
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Stevie Wonder Grammy Award-Winning Musician, Producer, Songwriter, and Performer
2013 BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT Calvin Mackie ’90 Author, Educator, Engineer and Motivational Speaker
BENNIE SERVICE Milton J. Little Jr. ’76 President & CEO United Way of Greater Atlanta Inc.
BENNIE LEADERSHIP Willis B. Sheftall Jr., Ph.D. ’64
Founder, The Stafford Foundation
2011 BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT Melvin D. Gerald, M.D. ’64 Distinguished Physician Gerald Family Care Associates
BENNIE SERVICE Curley M. Dossman ’73 Education Advocate and President, Georgia-Pacific Foundation
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER William M. Jackson ’56
CANDLE IN RELIGION Harry S. Wright Sr. ’53
NASA Administrator and Famed Astronaut
Radio Broadcasting Pioneer Chairman Sheridan Broadcasting Corp.
2012 BENNIE LEADERSHIP Herman F. Bostick, Ph.D. ’49
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN ATHLETICS Frank Robinson * Major League Baseball Legend Major League Operations
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Morgan Freeman Academy Award-Winning Actor and Director
2010
Distinguished Professor Howard University
BENNIE LEADERSHIP Ronald S. Sullivan Jr. ’89
BENNIE SERVICE Earl F. Hilliard ’64
Distinguished Clinical Professor of Law Director, Harvard Criminal Justice Institute, Harvard Law School
Former United States Congressman
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT Calvin W. McLarin, M.D. ’68 * Renowned Cardiologist
*Deceased
CANDLE IN EDUCATION Freeman A. Hrabowski III Noted Author and Educator President, University of Maryland Baltimore County
CANDLE IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Antonio “L.A.” Reid
2009
Noted Entrepreneur and Attorney Donald V. Watkins, P.C.
CANDLE IN JOURNALISM Ronald R. Davenport Sr.
Critically Acclaimed Actor Director and Producer
President and Chief Executive Officer Catholic Healthcare West
CANDLE IN BUSINESS AND LAW Donald V. Watkins
CANDLE IN SCIENCE Charles F. Bolden
CANDLE IN ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Laurence J. Fishburne
CANDLE IN HEALTHCARE MANAGEMENT Lloyd Dean
Music Industry Pioneer Entrepreneur and Philanthropist Chairman of the Island Def Jam Music Group
Professor of Economics and Acting President of Morehouse College
Founder and CEO, Bridgeman Foods Inc. Former NBA Star
Noted Civil Rights Activist President and CEO of the Onyx Development Co. LLC
Distinguished Space Scientist and Educator University of California at Davis
Pastor Emeritus of Cornerstone Baptist Church Brooklyn, N.Y.
CANDLE IN BUSINESS Ulysses L. Bridgeman Jr.
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER Lonnie C. King ’69 *
BENNIE SERVICE Perry A. Henderson, M.D. ’54 Renowned, Retired Physician and Professor of OB/GYN, University of WisconsinMadison Medical School
BENNIE LEADERSHIP Charles David Moody ’78 Entrepreneur and Business Executive Owner, President, and CEO of C.D. Moody Construction Co. Inc.
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT J. Jerome Farris ’51 * U.S. Court of Appeals Judge (Ninth Circuit) and Former President, Board of Regents, the University of Washington
BENNIE SERVICE Arthur Lee Johnson ’48 * Civil Rights Leader, NAACP Pioneer, and Retired Educator
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER Richard C. Caesar ’40 * Noted Dentist, Original Tuskegee Airman and Philanthropist
CANDLE IN GOVERNMENT AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT Charles Bernard “Charlie” Rangel Distinguished U.S. Congressman and Civil Rights Activist
CANDLE IN MEDICINE Ernest A. “Ernie” Bates, M.D. Distinguished Neurosurgeon, Philanthropist, President and CEO American Shared Hospital Services Inc.
CANDLE IN RELIGION Samuel Berry McKinney ’49* Civil Rights Activist and Pastor Emeritus of Mount Zion Baptist Church, Seattle, Wash.
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Past Bennie and Candle Honorees CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN SPORTS AND SOCIAL ACTIVISM Tommie Smith 1968 Olympic Gold Medalist and Human Rights Activist
CANDLE IN BUSINESS Alden J. McDonald Jr. Prominent Businessman CEO and President, Liberty Bank & Trust
2008
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN HUMAN AND CIVIL RIGHTS Joseph E. Lowery *
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT M. William Howard Jr. ’88
Renowned Civil Rights Activist Co-Founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
Pastor, Bethany Baptist Church and former President, New York Theological Seminary
BENNIE SERVICE Mack Roach ’75 World-Renowned Urology Researcher Professor, Radiation Oncology and Urology
BENNIE LEADERSHIP James R. Hall ’57 Lt. General, U.S. Army (ret.) and Morehouse College Trustee
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER Clinton Warner ’44 * Pioneering Georgia Physician and Morehouse College Trustee Emeritus
CANDLE IN BUSINESS Lloyd G. Trotter Prominent Businessman General Electric
CANDLE IN MEDICINE Alvin H. Crawford, M.D., FACS Director, Pediatric Orthopedics Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT William “Smokey” Robinson Jr. Legendary Grammy Award-Winning Recording Artist, Record Producer, and Record Executive
2007 BENNIE LEADERSHIP Robert C. Davidson Jr. ’67 Distinguished Businessman President and CEO Surface Protection Industries
BENNIE SERVICE Melvin D. Smith ’61 * World-Renowned Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeon
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER Leroy R. Johnson ’49 * Pioneering Georgia Senator and Prominent Attorney
CANDLE IN RELIGION Amos C. Brown Sr. ’64
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Roscoe Lee Browne *
2005 BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT James O. Webb ’53 Founder & Managing Principal Baker-Eubanks LLC
BENNIE SERVICE Richard O. Hope ’61 Vice-President, Public Policy and International Affairs Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Program
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER Gerald Truesdale ’71
Acclaimed Actor and Renowned Poet
Distinguished Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Sidney Poitier
BENNIE LEADERSHIP Reginald Davis ’84
Academy Award-Winning Actor
Head of Business Banking Suntrust
2006
CANDLE IN BUSINESS Herman J. Russell *
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT Michael L. Lomax ’68 President and CEO UNCF
BENNIE SERVICE Albert J. Price ’50 * Retired U.S. Air Force Pilot and State Senator
Chairman H.J. Russell & Company
CANDLE IN EDUCATION Charles J. Ogletree Jesse Climenko Professor of Law Harvard University
CANDLE IN MEDICINE Charles J. McDonald
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER Thomas J. Sampson ’68
Professor of Medical Science Chair, Department of Dermatology
Managing Partner, Thomas, Kennedy, Sampson & Patterson Law Firm
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Berry Gordy
CANDLE IN BUSINESS Alphonse Fletcher Jr. Prominent Businessman Fletcher Asset Management Inc.
CANDLE IN MEDICINE Augustus White III, M.D. Orthopedic Surgeon
CANDLE IN BUSINESS AND SPORTS MANAGEMENT Butch Lewis * Prominent Businessman and Sports Promoter
CANDLE IN LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT FOR ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Gordon Parks * World-Renowned Photographer
CANDLE IN LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT FOR ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Geoffrey Holder * World-Renowned Artist, Dancer and Choreographer
Founder, Motown Records Chairman, West Grand Media Inc.
2004 BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT Sanford D. Bishop Jr. ’68 Congressman, Georgia, 2nd District
BENNIE SERVICE AWARD Howard H. Carey ’57 * President & CEO Neighborhood House Association
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER AWARD Isaac Willis ’61 * Distinguished Dermatologist, Northwest Medical Center
CANDLE IN ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Tom Joyner Nationally Syndicated Radio Host Founder, Tom Joyner Foundation & REACH Media Inc.
Senior Pastor, Third Baptist Church Noted Civil and Human Rights Activist
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morehouse college
*Deceased
Past Bennie and Candle Honorees CANDLE IN MEDICINE LaSalle D. Lefall Jr. * Charles R. Drew Professor of Surgery, Howard University
CANDLE IN LEADERSHIP Jesse Hill Jr. *
2002
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Ray Charles *
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT Artis A. White ’51 *
World-Renowned R&B Legend & Songwriter
Maxillofacial Prosthodontist
Former Chairman, Atlanta Life Insurance Co.
BENNIE SERVICE Tobe Johnson Jr. ’54
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Ossie Davis *
Distinguished Political Scientist and Chair, Department of Political Science, Morehouse College
Acclaimed Actor & Activist
BENNIE LEADERSHIP James H. Sills Jr. ’55
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN HUMANITARIAN SERVICE Oprah Winfrey Philanthropist and Entertainer, Founder, Oprah’s Angel Network & The Oprah Winfrey Foundation, Chairwoman, HARPO Entertainment Group, Co-founder, Oxygen Media
2003 BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT Harold A. Dawson Sr. ’63 * Entrepreneur and Real Estate Developer
BENNIE SERVICE Jeh Charles Johnson ’79 Former General Counsel, U.S. Air Force Litigation Partner with Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER Willie J. “Flash” Davis ’56 * Prominent Criminal Defense Attorney and Litigation Partner with Davis, Robinson & White LLP
CANDLE IN BUSINESS Robert L. Johnson Entertainment and Television Pioneer Chairman, Black Entertainment Television
CANDLE IN EDUCATION Kwame Anthony Appiah Distinguished Author and Philosopher Laurence S. Rockefeller Professor of Philosophy Princeton University
CANDLE IN JOURNALISM Ed Bradley *
Former Mayor of Wilmington, Del.
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER William “Bill” G. Nunn III ’76 * Famed Actor
CANDLE IN LEADERSHIP William H. Gray III * President and CEO, The College Fund/UNCF
CANDLE IN RELIGION Charles Gilchrist Adams Senior Pastor, Hartford Memorial Baptist Church Detroit, Mich.
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN LITERARY AND PERFORMING ARTS August Wilson * Award-Winning Playwright
2001
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT Herman Cain ’67 * CEO, Godfather’s Pizza and President, National Restaurant Association
BENNIE SERVICE Cameron Alexander ’59 * Noted pastor and community activist Antioch Baptist Church North
BENNIE LEADERSHIP Robert L. Mallett ’79 Deputy Secretary of Commerce
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER Charles D. Watts Sr. ’38 * Physician and Medical Educator
CANDLE IN ATHLETICS Tony Dorsett Football Hall of Fame
CANDLE IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Bernard Harris Astronaut, Vice President Spacehab Inc.
CANDLE IN EDUCATION AND BUSINESS
Clifton R. Wharton
Former President of Michigan State Univ. and Former CEO of TIAA-CREF
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT Ezra C. Davidson Jr. ’54 * Distinguished Physician and Educator
1999
BENNIE SERVICE Horace T. Ward ’49 *
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT Peter Chatard ’56
U.S. Federal Judge and Civil Rights Attorney
BENNIE LEADERSHIP Charles “Chuck” H. James III ’81 * President and CEO, C.H. James & Co.
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER Howard F. Jeter ’70 U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria
Award-Winning Journalist Senior Correspondent for CBS’ “60 Minutes”
CANDLE IN HUMAN AND CIVIL RIGHTS C.T. Vivian *
CANDLE IN MEDICINE Keith L. Black
Civil Rights Strategist
Director, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute and Division of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Chairman, Department of Neurological Surgery, The University of California at Irvine
2000
CANDLE IN SOCIAL ACTIVISM Dick Gregory * Civil Rights Activist, Nutritionist, and Comedian
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Harry Belafonte
President Washington Society of Plastic Surgeons
BENNIE SERVICE Lerone Bennett ’49 * Executive Editor, Ebony Magazine
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER David Satcher ’63 U.S. Surgeon General and Assistant Secretary of Health
CANDLE IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Arthur Mitchell * Founder and Director, Dance Theatre of Harlem
CANDLE IN BUSINESS Earl G. Graves Sr. * Publisher, Black Enterprise Magazine Chairman and CEO, Earl G. Graves Ltd.
Award-Winning Actor/Entertainment Legend
*Deceased
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Past Bennie and Candle Honorees CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Quincy Jones Musician, Composer and Record Producer
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN SPORTS AND ATHLETICS Muhammad Ali *
1996 BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT Hobert Kornegay ’45 *
1998
BENNIE SERVICE Henry W. Foster Jr. ’54
Chairman, Postal Rate Commission
BENNIE SERVICE Frederick E. Mapp ’32 * Educator and Published Scholar
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER H. Julian Bond ’71 * Civil Rights Activist and Scholar in Residence at American University
BENNIE LEADERSHIP John Silvanus Wilson Jr. ’79 Director of Foundation Relations and School Development Services at MIT
CANDLE IN EDUCATION Alvin F. Poussaint Associate Dean for Student Affairs, Harvard University School of Medicine
CANDLE IN COMMUNITY SERVICE Joseph E. Marshall Jr. Founder and Executive Director of Omega Boys Club
1997 BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT Maceo K. Sloan ’71 President & CEO, Sloan Financial Group Inc.
BENNIE SERVICE Major R. Owens ’56 * Congressman, U.S. House of Representatives
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER Donald R. Hopkins ’62 Epidemiologist and Senior Consultant, The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum
CANDLE IN BUSINESS Dennis F. Hightower Retired President, Walt Disney Television & Telecommunications Senior Lecturer, Harvard University Business School
morehouse college
1994
Principal Washington Anchor, CNN
Former Gold Medalist, and Heavyweight Champion of the World
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT George W. Haley ’49 *
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CANDLE IN JOURNALISM Bernard Shaw
Dentist and Politician
Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology Meharry Medical College
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER Samuel L. Jackson ’72 Veteran Actor and Academy Award Nominee
CANDLE IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Joe Adams * Executive Vice President, Ray Charles Enterprises
CANDLE IN BUSINESS Robert E. Johnson ’48 * Executive Editor and Associate Publisher Jet Magazine
CANDLE IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY James King Jr. ’53 * Former Director of the Engineering and Science Directorate Jet Propulsion Laboratory
1995 BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT Samuel Milton Nabrit ’25 * Former Foundation Director and College President
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT Maynard Holbrook Jackson ’56 * First African American Mayor of Atlanta
BENNIE SERVICE Charles V. Willie ’48 Professor of Education and Urban Studies Harvard University Graduate School of Education
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER Edwin C. Moses ’78 Olympic Champion, Sports Administrator and Diplomat
CANDLE IN ATHLETICS Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Professional Basketball Player
CANDLE IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Sinbad Comedian, Actor, Entertainer
CANDLE IN EDUCATION Cornel West Professor of Religion and Director of the Afro-American Studies Department, Princeton University
CANDLE IN SOCIAL JUSTICE A. Leon Higginbotham Jr.* Professor, Harvard University
1993 BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT Roy Terry ’66 and Rudolph Terry ’69 * Terry Manufacturing Co.
President, Dillard University
BENNIE SERVICE J.O.B. Moseley ’29 (Posthumously) Composer
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER J. Eugene Grigsby ’38 *
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER Griffith Jerome Davis ’47 *
BENNIE SERVICE Samuel DuBois Cook ’48 *
Artist and Professor
Photographer, Journalist and Diplomat
CANDLE IN EDUCATION Hugh Morris Gloster ’31 *
CANDLE IN ATHLETICS Reggie White *
President Emeritus, Morehouse College
Athlete and Evangelist
CANDLE IN GOVERNMENT Andrew Young
CANDLE IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Kenny Leon
Civil Rights Leader Former Mayor of Atlanta, U.S. Congressman, and U.S. Ambassador
CANDLE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE Derrick Albert Bell Jr.* Professor, Harvard University Law School
Artistic Director of Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre Co.
CANDLE IN BUSINESS Arthur Johnson ’68 President and Chief Operating Officer IBM Federal Systems Co. Vice Chairman of the Postal Rate Commission
*Deceased
Past Bennie and Candle Honorees CANDLE IN EDUCATION Samuel Proctor*
CANDLE IN EDUCATION John Hope Franklin *
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER Louis Sullivan ’54
Pastor Emeritus, Abyssinian Baptist Church
James B. Duke Professor Emeritus of History and Professor of Legal History The Law School, Duke University
Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT Arthur Ashe (Posthumously) * Athlete and Humanitarian
CANDLE IN THE MILITARY Robert L. Toney *
1992
Former Director for Logistics and Security Assistance U.S. Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT I. Owen Funderburg ’48 * President, Citizens Trust Bank
BENNIE SERVICE Clarence “Kappa” Brown ’40 * Retired, New York Transit Authority
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER Walter E. Massey ’58 Director, National Science Foundation
CANDLE IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Louis Gossett Jr. Actor
CANDLE IN BUSINESS Roy S. Roberts Manufacturing Manager, General Motors Corp. Cadillac Motor Division
CANDLE IN EDUCATION Robert H. Brisbane* Retired Chairman and Current Professor Political Science, Morehouse College
CANDLE IN RELIGION George H. Clements Founder, One Church, One Child
1991 BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT Nathaniel Hawthorne Bronner ’40 * Founder and President Bronner Brothers Beauty Complex
BENNIE SERVICE Edward B. Williams ’27 * Professor Emeritus of Economics Morehouse College
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER George William Crockett Jr. ’31 * Retired U.S. Congressman
CANDLE IN BUSINESS Kenneth I. Chenault President, Consumer Card & Financial Services Group, USA American Express Travel Related Services Co. Inc.
*Deceased
CANDLE IN RELIGION Otis Moss Jr. ’56 Pastor Olivet Institutional Baptist Church
1990 BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT T.M. Alexander Sr. ’31 * President, T.M. Alexander Co. Inc.
BENNIE SERVICE Asa G. Yancey Sr. ’37 * Retired Medical Director Grady Memorial Hospital
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER Spike Lee ’79 Filmmaker and President, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks
CANDLE IN ATHLETICS Henry “Hank” Aaron * Legendary Baseball Player and Senior Vice President of the Atlanta Braves
CANDLE IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Denzel Washington
CANDLE IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Danny Glover Actor
CANDLE IN ATHLETICS Vincent “Bo” Jackson Professional Athlete L.A. Raiders and Kansas City Royals
CANDLE IN BUSINESS George R. Lewis Vice President and Treasurer Philip Morris Companies Inc.
CANDLE IN EDUCATION Henry Louis Gates Jr. W.E.B. DuBois Professor of Literature Cornell University
CANDLE IN LAW Kurt Schmoke Mayor of Baltimore, Md.
CANDLE IN MILITARY Fred A. Gorden Commandant of Cadets, U.S. Military Academy
CANDLE IN RELIGION Eugene A. Marino * Archbishop of the Atlanta Catholic Archdiocese
CANDLE IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Benjamin Carson Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery Johns Hopkins Hospital
Academy Award-Winning Actor
CANDLE IN EDUCATION Asa G. Hilliard III * Fuller E. Callaway Professor of Urban Education Georgia State University
CANDLE IN RELIGION Calvin O. Butts III ’72 Pastor, Abyssinian Baptist Church
1989 BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT Roderic Pettigrew ’72 Physician/Nuclear Physicist
BENNIE SERVICE Otis Smith ’47 * President Atlanta Chapter NAACP
2021 “a candle in the dark” gala
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This is the generation of change
We are proud to work with institutions like . Morehouse College that believe in empowering our youth to reach their academic dreams.
Become a Believer at ATTBelieves.com.
ATTBelieves.com
Here at Cerner, we are relentlessly seeking breakthrough innovation that will shape health care of tomorrow because we envision a seamless and connected world where everyone thrives. We are leveraging diversity to drive performance, innovation and results in the workforce, workplace, marketplace and community. We are pushing the boundaries of our industry, to improve healthcare for everyone.
Learn more about Cerner and our diversity and inclusion program at
Building a diverse and inclusive workforce to push boundaries
careers.cerner.com/locations/ north-america/diversity-and-inclusion
Visit cerner.com | ©2021 Cerner Corporation
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2/9/21 2:17 PM
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33rd Annual “A Candle in the Dark” Gala – February 13, 2021
Proud Sponsor Of
A Candle In The Dark Gala
SunTrust Bank is proud to support Morehouse College and the 2021 “A Candle in the Dark” Gala.
suntrust.com © 2021 Truist Financial Corporation. SunTrust®, the SunTrust logo, and Truist are service marks of Truist Financial Corporation. All rights reserved.
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T H I R D A N N U A L 2.5 DAYS
OF FILM SCREENINGS, WORKSHOPS, DISCUSSIONS, AND NETWORKING
SEPTEMBER 23 – 25, 2021 The Morehouse College Human Rights Film Festival (MCHRFF) is an exciting opportunity to engage the College and connect with filmmakers, humanitarians, social justice organizations, and festival attendees from all over the world. For more information, contact Kara Walker at morehousefilmfest@morehouse.edu.
morehousehumanrightsfilmfestival.com
SUPPORT THE NEXT GENERATION
Did you know that 94% of our students receive financial aid from the College? Your gift today to the General Scholarship Fund directly helps our exceptional students achieve their dream of a Morehouse diploma. Your gift will go to work immediately to recruit and retain the next generation of scholars by providing scholarship support to help cover the costs of education and housing for Morehouse students. At at a time when HBCU graduates are borrowing nearly twice as much as their peers at other institutions, you have an opportunity to ensure a quality, affordable college education is accessible regardless of a student’s financial circumstances.
MAKE A GIFT TODAY. Text Morehouse to 31996 Or visit giving.morehouse.edu
For more information, please contact: Office of Institutional Advancement Morehouse College 830 Westview Drive SW, Atlanta, GA 30314 (470) 639-0545 | giving@morehouse.edu
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The roadmap for success begins with opportunity. Mercedes-Benz USA turns diversity from a challenge to a business opportunity, creating a community where success is transparent and accessible by all. We bring together individuals of all backgrounds, skill sets, life experiences, preferences and beliefs to create better outcomes for our customers, our people and our communities. To help accomplish our goals, we are honored to invest in Morehouse College’s mission to provide access to academic scholarships and pay tribute to distinguished African Americans for their outstanding contributions to their respective professions.
Mercedes-Benz USA is proud to sponsor the 2021 “A Candle in the Dark” Virtual Gala.
2021 GLC 300 shown in Iridium Silver metallic paint. ©2021 Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
For more information, call 1-800-FOR-MERCEDES, or visit MBUSA.com.
HEADLINE: 32 pt. • BODY COPY: 9 pt. • TAG: 13 pt. 200 Varick St. New York, NY 10014 : Phone 212-805-7500
MBC_GEN_MPNY-P00006058_R1
Client: MERCEDES-BENZ USA, LLC. Corporate
WO: 2021 GLC 'The roadmap...'
We proudly support Morehouse College’s TEAM MEDIA / PRINT INFO COLORS SPECS Cyan Creative: David Ganassi None Pubs: None L/S: None 2021 “A Candle in the Dark” Gala and Magenta Media: None Acct: Macy McNair DOC SIZE: 8.5" x 5.5" FONTS Yellow Prod/Traf: Angel Pabon Lynn Mathis Round: 1 B: None Black applaud all of tonight’s distinguished Studio: bd Printed: 2-9-2021 12:40 PM @ None G: None IMAGES Bennie and Candle honorees. MB-star_M_n_4C.eps (16%; SuperStudio:Logos:Mercedes:2015 Mercedes-Benz Brand Marks:M-B Starmark EPS:MB-star_M_n_4C.eps) PATH: M.P_MECHANICALS:Mercedes:MBC:GEN:MPNY-P00006058:MBC_GEN_MPNY-P00006058_R1
M-B BLACK CMYK 40/30/30/100
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A. Scott Bolden Morehouse Class of ’84 Managing Partner abolden@reedsmith.com 1301 K Street, NW | Suite 1000, East Tower Washington, DC 20005 Phone: 202.414.9266 | Mobile: 202.236.4166 Fax: 202.414.9299
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STRENGTHENING OUR CONNECTIONS.
We’re proud to support those who work toward a brighter tomorrow by helping others.
NOURISHING COMMUNITIES 42
We exist to help every child become all they can be. Dan Cathy and Chick-fil-A support innovative education, youth entrepreneurship and emerging leader development in local communities across the U.S. Learn more about us at chick-fil-afoundation.org
Thank you for your generosity. Your contributions have allowed us to realize our dreams. We are on our way to becoming Morehouse Men. morehouse.edu
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