Dr. Michael Lomax, UNCF president and CEO; Laysha Ward, Executive Vice President and Chief External Engagement Officer, Target; The Honorable Charles Rangel; Karen Calloway; The Honorable David Dinkins; AJ Calloway, "EXTRA" Correspondent; . 

NOTABLES HONORED DURING 
NEW YORK'S 2017 "A MIND IS..." GALA 

The annual UNCF "A Mind Is..." Gala continued its tradition of honoring leaders for their game-changing advocacy on behalf of education through partnerships with UNCF and their own work. Target, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the Honorable David Dinkins and the Honorable Charles Rangel were recently honored at this March 2 event that raised close to $1 million to get students to and through college. The evening featured a general reception, dinner, testimonials provided by HBCU presidents from Shaw University and Philander Smith College, and Valerie Simpson of the legendary duo Ashford and Simpson headlined the evening. Close to 900 business, civic and education leaders were in attendance at the Grand Hyatt New York.
UNCF PRESIDENT DISCUSSES RECENT WHITE HOUSE VISIT TO ADVANCE HBCU AGENDA WITH THE NEW ADMINISTRATION
UNCF and 32 of its 37 member-institution presidents recently participated in an unprecedented meeting in the Oval Office with President Donald J. Trump, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and other top administration leaders to discuss areas of collaboration between the nation's historically black colleges and universities' (HBCUs) and the federal government. They also discussed ways in which HBCUs can continue to drive positive change in their communities. Immediately following the meeting, nearly 90 HBCU presidents participated in a "listening session" with key members of the new administration.  

For 73 years, UNCF, as a non-partisan organization, has worked on both sides of the aisle with presidents and members of Congress of all political persuasions toward a common goal: ensuring that African American students have the opportunity to go to and through college and on to successful careers. However thanks to the recent meetings with the new administration,  HBCUs are now at the forefront and beginning to receive the visibility and recognition that they rightfully deserve.

During the gala, UNCF President and CEO Dr. Michael L. Lomax said, "We stepped up to the challenge of presenting the HBCU value proposition to the president and his top advisors, and we will now work to  turn this opportunity into the tangible support that our schools need and deserve, and have earned with our 150-year record of accomplishment." 

For more information about UNCF's important efforts to advance the HBCU agenda with the new administration, click here.
THE PRESIDENTS AWARD

Dorothy Buckhanan Wilson, International President of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.; UNCF President and CEO, Dr. Michael Lomax,

 

The UNCF President's Award was presented to Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., which has donated more than $4 million to UNCF over the past three decades and promotes a national "Think HBCU" initiative to support historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The President's Award was accepted by the sorority's international president Dorothy Buckhanan Wilson, a graduate of UNCF-member HBCUs Benedict College and Clark Atlanta University. Click here to view the award presentation.
THE FREDERICK D. PATTERSON AWARD
Laysha Ward, Executive Vice President and Chief External Engagement Officer, Target.

Laysha Ward, executive vice president and chief external engagement officer at Target, accepted the highest honor on behalf of the company, the Frederick D. Patterson Award, for their contributions of more than $15 million to UNCF over the years. Target joins the ranks of distinguished past Patterson honorees including Fund II Foundation, which invested $48 million into a new UNCF STEM initiative last year; President Bill Clinton; President George H.W. Bush; and Bill and Melinda Gates.

" Target is proud of our partnership with UNCF, and is honored to receive the Frederick D. Patterson Award," says Ward. "This important work is transforming young lives through the power of education and is providing a pathway to  jobs and career opportunities."
 
THE SHIRLEY CHISHOLM  AWARD FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE
Fred Mitchell, UNCF Vice President of Development; James Milliken, Chancellor of the City University of New York;  The Honorable Charles Rangel; Dr. Haywood L. Strickland, President of Wiley College; The Honorable David Dinkins; UNCF President and CEO Dr. Michael Lomax; William Stasior, UNCF Board Chairman.
The Shirley Chisholm Award for Community Service was presented to both the Honorable David N. Dinkins, New York City's first African American mayor, and the Honorable Charles B. Rangel, who spent 46 years in Congress, for their tireless advocacy on behalf of the African American community in New York City and beyond.

"God has made it possible for us to fight and to win, and certainly the United Negro College Fund has given people the opportunity to gain the self-esteem that is necessary for us to win," said Rangel. "So whatever you do, don't give up, and don't give out and don't give in: it's just another struggle." 

View their inspiring acceptance remarks here. 
AJ Calloway

AJ Calloway, correspondent of "EXTRA," was the master of ceremonies. As a proud graduate of HBCU Howard University, Calloway encouraged the audience to invest in the futures of students who will become tomorrow's leaders.
Sydni Falconer is a KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) alumna and a UNCF scholar at Clark Atlanta University. Click here to view her inspiring story.

Lauren Faison, Talladega College class of 2018, performed rousing renditions of the national anthem and "Lift Every Voice and Sing." VIDEO

 

 
The presidents of UNCF's 37-member institutions. 




Delta Air Lines, Stephen and Susan Mandel, Vonage and Wells Fargo served as platinum event sponsors, and their support, along with that of attendees, helped raise critical funds for UNCF's 37-member institutions and more than 400 scholarships, internships and fellowship programs. 

 To view additional images from the 2017 UNCF "A Mind Is..." Gala, please visit:

UNCF New York gala 
UNCF 
1805 7th St. NW
Washington, DC 20001