Howard University, founded on March 2, 1867, is a leading private research university based in Washington, D.C. Since its founding, Howard has played a vital role in providing higher education opportunities for African Americans for more than a century. Howard is a a historically black university (HBCU) renowned for its academic excellence and cultural significance. Often referred to as the "Mecca" or "The Mecca of HBCUs," it holds a prominent place in African American history and higher education.
Howard University consistently ranks high among HBCUs, offering a diverse range of programs and contributing significantly to the African American intellectual and cultural legacy. Howard once again made history in 2025 as the first historically black university (HBCU) to achieve the prestigious Research One (R1) Carnegie Classification by the American Council on Education, indicating the highest level of research production among colleges and universities in the United States.
Renowned for its esteemed faculty, high achieving students, and commitment to excellence, leadership, truth and service, Howard produces distinguished alumni across all sectors, including the first Black U.S. Supreme Court justice, Thurgood Marshall, and the first Black, Asian and woman U.S. vice president, Kamala Harris. Other notable alumni include L. Douglas Wilder, Zora Neale Hurston, Elijah Cummings, Debbie Allen, Vernon Jordan and many, many more.
Welcome Message from Howard Alumni ClubRichmond, President Russell W. Scott
Greetings, alumni friends and supporters. It has been my honor to serve as the President of the Howard Alumni Club of Richmond over the last four years. As I conclude my final months in this capacity, I take immense pleasure to once again welcome you on behalf of our club. Each year during the month of March, the Howard University Alumni Club of Richmond (HUAC- Richmond) celebrates Howard University’s Centennial Charter Day Dinner and Convocation, which will be held this year on March 1, 2025. Charter Day commemorates the founding of Howard University on March 2. 1867. This year’s 13th Annual Scholarship Fundraiser is a departure from our usual Jazz Brunch Scholarship Fundraiser format but promises to bring enlightenment never experienced from Howard University from Nikole Hannah Jones, Knight Chair of Race and Journalism at Howard University, where she founded the Center for Journalism & Democracy.
This year’s program is sure to be both exciting and illuminating as we present a moderated discussion featuring Emmy & Pulitzer award winner, Nikole Hannah Jones, The New York Times Magazine and Creator of The 1619 Project. Dr. Colita Fairfax, Social Justice Professor & Historiographer at Norfolk State University, will moderate the discussion based on our theme “From 1619 to 1867”. Our annual fundraiser supports scholarships for students from the Richmond community and surrounding areas who attend Howard University.
This year we celebrate 30+ years of service to Howard University and the local community. In addition to providing scholarships to area students, each year HUAC-Richmond is a leading participant in the Annual Alumni Charity Challenge (ACC) supporting Feedmore having won the 10th Annual ACC event last year. We finished in 3rd place among all colleges & universities. HUACRichmond has been a major participant in the Annual Feedmore ACC which has provided more than one million pounds of food to support our local community. During this winter’s water crisis in Richmond, we supported fellow alum Pastor Ralph Hodge of Second Baptist Church by helping to distribute 6000 bottles of water to local residents!
Over the past several years HUAC Richmond provided support to Howard University students who were in Richmond as part of the Alternative Spring Break (ASB) program. The ASB students focused their efforts on restorative justice initiative.
HUAC Richmond Club also provides support in our local community to non-profits such as Second Chance at Renewing Self (SCARS), which supports survivors of intimate partner abuse and our Club's Annual Holiday Parties allow us to collect toys and donations to support local organizations (e.g. Richmond Christmas Mother, Angel Tree and Housing Families First) and local families in need. We are proud to support President Vinson’s mission objective to elevate “Howard University to Maximum Strength”. Over the past two years thanks to your generous donations, we were able to award $31,000 in scholarships to 32 students, with one scholarship each year coming from Region II of the Howard University Alumni Association. This year 's goal of $25,000 is earmarked to assist students in support of the President’s mission.
As one of only two Alumni Clubs in Virginia, we have fielded numerous requests to represent Howard University at HBCU College Fairs throughout Central VA. We have been proud to represent the
University at numerous local HBCU College Fairs, such as the 2nd & 3rd Annual HBCU College/ Career Fairs sponsored by Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., HBCU College Fairs for Brightpoint Community College students looking to transfer to 4-year colleges and Delta Sigma Theta’s Infinite Scholars Program.
HUAC of Richmond is always pleased to welcome and support Bison teams and clubs whenever they visit the area. Over the past few years, we hosted the Bison Men’s & Woman’s basketball teams and Bison women’s bowling team. We have also procured tickets & hosted tailgate parties and meet ups with the teams. This Fall we will again serve as host when the Bison football team returns to Richmond, VA to play the University of Richmond Spiders. Over the last two years we sponsored HBCU Night at the Diamond and last year we attended HBCU Day at the Washington Nationals game at Nationals Park.
In closing, I would like to thank the Scholarship Committee for planning this year’s event. My very sincere thank you is extended to Almeater Alston, our Scholarship Committee Chairman, who worked tirelessly to make our 13th annual scholarship event a success. I would also be remiss if I did not thank the club’s executive leadership team and local members for their invaluable service and support throughout my tenure.
We are the little club "Who Could"! Although we may be few, we are mighty and highly ranked and regarded among all clubs in the Howard University Alumni Association.
Thank you for being a part of our Bison Family today and supporting us as we strive to make a difference.
Yours in Truth & Service, Russell W. Scott, Class of 1979
Howard University Alumni Richmond Club
13th Annual Scholarship Fundraiser
Theme: From 1619-1867
Welcome from Howard Alumni President & Appomattox Regional Governor’s School .............. Russell Scott & Veronica Kouassi Small Greetings & Remarks…………………………………….Annette Smith-Lee ..................................................Vice Mayor Petersburg City Council
Today’s Program
Meet Our Musical Guest………………………………………..Russell Scott Vibing With the Band…………………………………………….. Kia Bennett
Closing Remarks ............................................ ……………Russell Scott
Meet our Speaker
Nikole Hannah-Jones is the Pulitzer Prize-winning creator of the 1619 Project and a staff writer at The New York Times Magazine. The book version of The 1619 Project as well as the 1619 Project children's book, Born on the Water, were instant #1 New York Times bestsellers. Her 1619 Project is now a six-part docuseries on Hulu and won the Emmy for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series.
Hannah-Jones has spent her career investigating racial inequality and injustice, and her reporting has earned her the MacArthur Fellowship, known as the Genius grant, a Peabody Award, two George Polk Awards and the National Magazine Award three times. She also serves as the Knight Chair of Race and Journalism at Howard University, where she founded the Center for Journalism & Democracy. Hannah-Jones is also the co-founder of the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting, which seeks to increase the number of investigative reporters and editors of color, and in 2022 she opened the 1619 Freedom School, a free, afterschool literacy program in her hometown of Waterloo, Iowa. Hannah-Jones holds a Master of Arts in Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and earned her Bachelor of Arts in History and African-American studies from the University of Notre Dame.
Meet our Musical Guest
A native of Richmond, Virginia, and a product of Howard University, Kia Bennett made her introduction into entertainment while singing with former Washington D.C. group "Entyme" along with other respected soul artists Geno Young, Sy Smith, and Yahzarah. Kia is a member of the new school RAMP (Roy Ayers Music Production) whose musical contributions provided the world with samples for hits like A Tribe Called Quest's "Bonita Applebum", Mary J. Blige's "My Life" and Erykah Badu's "Amerykah's Promise". Ms. Bennett is best noted for her background vocals which supported international recording artists D'Angelo, Ledisi, Michael Bolton, Roy Ayers, and others.
Kia was nominated as 2012 Best New Artist and 2017 Song of The Year (A Beautiful Forever) for SoulTracks Readers Choice Awards. Kia has also served as a Board Member and Governor of The Washington D.C. Chapter of the Recording Academy (Grammys), an ASCAP Member (The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers), SAG-AFTRA, and a Board Member of SoundExchange. She is also a member of WALA (Washington Area Lawyers For The Arts). Kia devotes her time as an Artist in Residence at The Inova Schar Cancer Institute and The Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center in the music and healing arts programs. Kia is also a Teaching Artist for CreativeWorks. She currently has an EP entitled, Duet of Daffodils and is currently working on her new full-length album.
Kia has graced the stages of: (VA)
*The Richmond Jazz Society, Capital Ale House Music Hall, Vagabond, The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, The Richmond Jazz Festival at Maymont, Tin Pan, Dogwood Dell, CenterStage (Carpenter Theater), Downing-Gross/Ella Fitzgerald Theater, The Perkinson Center/Jimmy Dean Theater, The Richmond Symphony, The Birchmere, The Hippodrome, Varia Wine Studio (Hilton Norfolk THE MAIN), PBS/NPR Brewer Sessions, and The Historic Cavalier Hotel (DC)
*The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Blues Alley, Cramton Auditorium, City Winery DC, Busboys & Poets, 9:30 Club, Takoma Station, The Black Cat, Bohemian Caverns, The Warner Theater, SoFar Sounds DC, Mr. Henry’s, The Washington Monument, The Carter Barron Amphitheater, and The Howard Theater (MD)
*Maryland Live Casino, The Fillmore, and The Mansion at Strathmore (NY)
*Leftfield, The Shrine, BB Kings, Silvana, DROM, SOB’s, The Bitter End, Gin Fizz, The W Hotel/Times Square, and Rockwood Music Hall
About the Appomattox Regional Governor’s School for the Arts and Technology
Good afternoon and welcome to the Appomattox Regional Governors School. Home of the Dragons where we Create. Lead. Achieve! We are so pleased to have you here today in our small, but mighty building.
Virginia has 19 academic-year Governor's Schools and many summer regional and residential Governor's Schools. However, only 3 are fully comprehensive, full day high schools and we are one of the three. What makes our program unique - our diverse population. Our students come from 14 different school divisions- all the way from Powhatan to Southampton. In fact, based on state diversity reports, we are the most diverse governor’s school in the state! Because our students are here all day they receive their targeted arts and technology instruction as well as the mandated Virginia curriculum everyday between the hours of 8:30 and 3:30. All of this learning takes place through our program as we are not considered a public school by the commonwealth. This means that we don’t receive the same funding model as school divisions- in fact we receive quite a bit less per pupil than most typical high schools. Our funding model can be a challenge but through planning, budgeting and donations we make it work and the proof is in the pudding. Just last year, our graduating class of 77 students walked away with over 3.5 million dollars in scholarship money, many receiving full tuition scholarships. We have had students attend many Ivy League institutions, in state colleges and universities, prestigious art conservatories as well as many HBCU’s to include Howard University! We are proud of the work we do here and hope it shows through all of the student pieces you can see in the halls. Thank you to our faculty, staff and students here today supporting this important event.
On behalf of ARGS and Dr. Meagan Tenia ARGS Executive Director, I want to express our sincere gratitude to the Howard University Alumni Club of Richmond for selecting Appomattox Regional Governor’s School for the Arts & Technology as your venue to host your 2025 Scholarship Fundraiser & Charter Day Celebration!
Mrs. Veronica A. Kouassi Small ARGS Assistant Director
Meet the Tucker Family
Descendants
of William Tucker
The Howard University Alumni Club of Richmond along with The Appomattox Governor’s School of Petersburg, Virginia extends a warm welcome to distinguished Tucker Family Members, referred to as America’s first Black family, who are descendants of the first known enslaved Africans to arrive in English North America in 1619. If not for revealed historical information highlighted in the “1619 Project “authored by our featured guest, Nikole Hannah- Jones and stories profiled on local news platforms; historical facts acquainting us with The Tuckers of the Hampton & Tidewater areas would be unknown to many.
We first learn of Anthony and Isabella from Angola who arrived amongst 20-30 other captives in 1619 to Point Comfort (Hampton, Virgina). Their journey across an uncertain sea was made on a ship called The White Lion. Anthony and Isabella were owned by an English planter, military leader and colonist by the name of Captain William Tucker. Not long after their arrival in Virginia, an infant son (and only child) was born to them and named William Tucker. Little William is credited with being the first African child born in America and is ancestor to the Tucker family, today’s program attendees. Since it was illegal for slaves to learn how to read or write, most African Americans have limited access to their family history. Slave valued possessions include their drums, their oral stories, recipes, remedies and traditions; often having come with them from Africa or experienced once having landed in America. The Tucker Family’s unique oral story is one that has been passed from generation to generation but also through the unearthing of a family cemetery that holds ancestor’s graves, tales and family secrets. The family is in possession of the deed for the cemetery that is dated “1896” and they hired a company to survey the graveyard with ground-penetrating radar. The cemetery contains more than 200 hidden and marked graves on two acres of land. The William Tucker 1624 Society maintains the cemetery land in recognition of their ancestors.
The Tucker Cemetery is a landmark in the city of Hampton, Virginia. The “Old Colored Burial Ground,” as it was once known, is one of the oldest cemeteries in Hampton and is a permanent resting place for generations of Tuckers and others of African descent.
Meet our Moderator
Dr. Colita Nichols Fairfax is Professor, Honors College Senior Faculty Fellow, and inaugural faculty scholar in the Center for African American Public Policy at Norfolk State University (NSU).
She has written several articles, reviews, chapters, and the following books, Hampton, Virginia, (2005), Timeless History and Service: The Iota Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc, 1922-To Our Time (2017); edited two books, Social Work, Marriage and Ethnicity: Policy and Practice (2016), and The African Experience in Colonial Virginia: Essays on the 1619 Arrival and the Legacy of Slavery (2021). She wrote the Foreword for A Guidebook to Virginia’s African American Historical Markers (2019).
She earned the Doctor of Philosophy and the Master of Arts in African American Studies from Temple University, the Master of Social Work from Rutgers University and, the Bachelor of Social Work from Howard University. She is a native of Richmond.
Dr. Fairfax was appointed to the city of Hampton’s 400th Commemorative Commission in 2010, where she contributed to documenting African American contributions on several historic markers, and articulated how the African figure of the tri-cultural anniversary statute on Settlers Landing Road in Hampton should be depicted. She served as co-chairman of the city of Hampton’s 2019 Commemorative Commission, tasked with planning activities commemorating the arrival of African people in English North America, Point Comfort (present-day Hampton) in 1619. Former Governor Terry McAuliffe appointed Dr. Fairfax to the State Board of Historic Resources where she served for eight years, as Vice-Chairman (2018-2019; 2021-2022) and Chairman (2019-2021; 20232024). Former Governor Ralph Northam re-appointed her to that board, and in 2020 to the Commission for Historic Statues in the United States Capitol, tasked with removing and replacing the Robert E. Lee Statue in the U.S. Capitol. She is president of the Barrett-Peake Heritage Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit preservation organization whose mission is the preservation of Black historic sites in the city of Hampton.
Dr. Fairfax is a life member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc ® ; initiated at Howard University, Alpha Chapter in 1987. She is a founding member of the Hampton Roads branch of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. She is married to Demographic and Mapping Consultant Anthony Fairfax. They have two daughters.
From our Scholarship Chair
Dear Sponsors, Howard University Alumni, Family, Guests, HBCU Supporters, Community Leaders, and Members of Our Community,
On behalf of the Howard University Alumni Club of Richmond, we extend our heartfelt gratitude for your presence and support at the 13th Annual Scholarship Fundraiser and Charter Day Celebration, held in historic Petersburg, Virginia. Your unwavering commitment to education and community empowerment fuels our mission and ensures that we continue to uplift the next generation of leaders.
Last year, through your generous contributions, we awarded 20 scholarships totaling $20,500, including a $500 scholarship from the region. As we gather at the Appomattox Regional Governor’s School for this flagship scholarship fundraiser, we celebrate not only the legacy of Howard University but also the enduring spirit of giving that makes our work possible. Since the inception of our fundraising efforts, Howard Alumni in Richmond have collectively raised over $90,000 in scholarship funds, directly impacting students’ educational journeys.
Howard University’s legacy is one of excellence, leadership, and social justice. As the founding institution for five of the Divine Nine, Howard has produced trailblazers in every field, including civil rights champions like John Mercer Langston, legal icons such as Thurgood Marshall, literary giants like Toni Morrison, and celebrated artists like Taraji P. Henson, Phylicia Rashad, Chadwick Boseman, and former Vice President Kamala Harris. Our impact reaches even to the highest offices of public service, with our very own Governor of Virginia, Lawrence Douglas Wilder, among our distinguished alumni. Many of you here today continue this legacy, making a profound difference in your communities and beyond. As the legacy continues, I am especially proud to include my daughter, Taylor Rawlings, who is on target to graduate in May of 2025 with a degree in Biology and minors in Chemistry and Spanish.
Your generosity, dedication, and unwavering support help us continue the work of fostering academic excellence and leadership among aspiring scholars. We are deeply grateful for your contributions and look forward to continuing this journey together.
With Sincere Appreciation and Excellence in Truth and Service,
Almeater Alston (School of Business, Class of 1988) HUAC-Richmond, VA Scholarship Committee Chair
Dominion Energy Mecca Sponsor
Ronald and Willia Wauls Mecca Sponsors
Rudolph
Direct Dial 804-218-3614
McCollum At Law, P.C.
422 East Franklin Street Suite 301 Richmond, Va. 23219
Congratulations Howard University Alumni Club of Richmond on the thirteenth annual Scholarship Fundraiser on Sunday, March 9, 2025 at the Appomattox Regional Governor’s School in Petersburg, VA.
Rudy McCollum Esq. (HU 1978)
Thank you to our event Vendors
Pepper Maranto is a senior literary arts major at ARGS. She plans to attend Sweetbriar College in the fall and participate in softball there. She has been in yearbook class for two of her four years at ARGS and frequently contributed pictures to the yearbook staff for three of those four years. Pepper is also a multiawarded/multi-published fiction and poetry writer
Thank you to our VIP Guests
Leon Hobson
William Parker
Adiah Reid
Carolyn Lambert
Jacqulynn Hugee
Sherl Moses
Tami Tucker Scott
Vonda Woods
Calvin Lee
Thank you to our student volunteers!
HUAC-Richmond, VA would like to extend our sincere appreciation to the student volunteers of the Appomattox Regional Governor’s School. Your dedication, hard work, and generosity of spirit have made a meaningful impact, and we are truly grateful for your support. Thank you for your time and commitment!
Thank You to the HUAC Richmond Scholarship Committee!
HUAC-Richmond extends our heartfelt gratitude to the Scholarship Committee for their commitment, dedication, and tireless efforts in hosting the 13th Annual Truth and Service Fundraiser and Charter Day Event. Your hard work and passion make a lasting impact, and we truly appreciate all that you do to support our mission. Thank you for your unwavering service!
In Loving Memory of Donna Dawson
President, Howard University Alumni Club of Richmond, VA
2017-2021
Friends, family, The Howard University Community and especially the Richmond Chapter of the Howard University Alumni Association are saddened by the recent passing of our beloved Donna. She traversed this world with so much grace, kindness, humility, excellence, dedication and endless love.
Born in Salisbury, Maryland to the late Wayman Roland Nutter and Martha Henson Collins Nutter, Donna matriculated at Howard University earning a Bachelor of Arts in Finance (’81) and went on to earn her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Houston (’84). While at Howard University, she was initiated into the Alpha Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. on the Implausible 31 line in Spring 1979; standing as the line’s “Ace” or the first in her line. Donna remained active with her beloved sorority throughout her life and affiliated with Delta chapters while living and working in various areas. She married Dr. Michael Dawson, the love of her life, and fellow Howard classmate, years after establishing her career and after being reconnected through friends who were certain all along of their mutual destiny. Michael and Donna shared 17 amazing years of togetherness built upon by their love of the Lord and each other.
Donna had a distinguished legal career with the United States government and was employed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Social Security Administration. She rose to the position of Administrative Law Judge and served in that role until she retired at the end of 2024.
Serving as the Howard University Alumni President from 2017-2021, Donna brought energy, vibrance, connectivity and with pride showed her love and support of her alma mater. It mattered to her that Howard students should have scholarship money to defray the rising cost of college; so, she worked diligently for the support of the chapter’s annual fundraiser (Truth and Service Award). She also led the charge in putting the chapter on the map through its collaboration with Feed More can food drive.
Donna transitioned on Thursday, February 13, 2025. Her Earthly candle has only been dimmed; her glow and essence will forever live on.
In Memory of Senator Henry Levander Marsh
III
Richmond Howard University Alumni Club
Truth and Service Award Winner
Born and raised as a Richmonder, Marsh's heart always belonged to the city he called home. He graduated from Maggie L. Walker High School and Virginia Union University before earning a law degree from Howard University (’59). In 1961, after serving in the U.S. Army, Marsh joined civil rights icons Oliver W. Hill and Samuel W. Tucker to form Hill, Tucker, and Marsh, a Black -led law firm instrumental in the fight for justice. Together, they took on cases like Quarles v. Philip Morris, the first U.S. lawsuit addressing racial discrimination in employment, and stood as a cornerstone of legal progress during the civil rights movement. The firm's work shaped Virginia's legal and civic landscape, particularly in its challenge to Massive Resistance to school desegregation.
Marsh was elected to the Richmond City Council in 1966 and became the city's first African American mayor in 1977. He served as mayor until 1982 and remained on the council until 1991 when he was elected to the state Senate, representing Richmond and surro unding areas. After retiring from the Senate in 2014, he was appointed by Gov. Terry McAuliffe as a commissioner of the Virginia ABC board. A longtime Church Hill resident, Marsh lived near the elementary school named in his honor in 2021.
Marsh's impact extended far beyond his official roles. He happily mentored multiple generations of civic and elected leaders across race, class, gender, and political affiliation. For him, supporting others in their efforts to create positive change was as important as his own accomplishments.
Henry Marsh, a Richmond trailblazer and Truth and Service Award recipient is honored and thanked for his commitment and impact in the Richmond and Howard University Community.
Howard University Alma Mater
Reared against the eastern sky Proudly there on hilltop high, Far above the lake so blue Stands old Howard firm and true.
There she stands for truth and right, Sending forth her rays of light, Clad in robes of majesty; O Howard, we sing of thee.
Be thou still our guide and stay Leading us from day to day; Make us true and leal and strong, Ever bold to battle wrong.
When from thee we’ve gone away, May we strive for thee each day
As we sail life’s rugged sea, O Howard, we’ll sing of thee.
