Morehouse College 37th Annual "A Candle in the Dark" Gala Program
The JME Group, LLC believes that supporting Morehouse College
The JME Group, LLC believes that supporting Morehouse College students not only sets an example of service to others, it also helps students not only sets an example of service to others, it also helps to make a difference in countless lives. to make a difference in countless lives.
We believe that by supporting Morehouse College and its mission, We believe that by supporting Morehouse College and its mission, we can fill our communities with men of disciplined minds who will we can fill our communities with men of disciplined minds who will lead lives of leadership and service. lead lives of leadership and service.
Javarro Edwards ’92 President, JME Group, LLC is proud to support the 37th Annual is proud to support the 37th Annual “A Candle in the Dark” Gala as this year’s “A Candle in the Dark” Gala as this year’s Presenting Sponsor. Presenting Sponsor.
Javarro Edwards ’92 President, JME Group, LLC
37th Annual Gala
CELEBRATING THE 158 TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF MOREHOUSE COLLEGE & THE 2025 BENNIE AND CANDLE AWARD HONOREES
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2025
7:30 P.M.
DONATE NOW!
Joseph T. RobeRT 1871–1884
Founders & Presidents
FOUNDER
William Jefferson White
ASSOCIATE FOUNDERS
Richard C. Coulter & Edmund Turney
PRESIDENTS OF MOREHOUSE COLLEGE
saMuel gRaves 1885–1890
benJaMin e. Mays 1940–1967
geoRge sale 1890–1906
hugh M. glosTeR ’31 1967–1987
RobeRT M. FRanKlin ’75 2007–2012
John hope 1906–1931
leRoy KeiTh JR. ’61 1987–1994
John silvanus Wilson JR. ’79 2013–2017
saMuel h aRcheR 1931–1937
WalTeR e. Massey ’58 1995–2007
DaviD a. ThoMas 2018–
HELD THE OFFICE OF PRESIDENT WITH THE TITLE “ACTING” OR “INTERIM”
David Foster Estes 1884–1885
John Hope 1906
Charles D. Hubert ’09 1937–1940
Wiley A. Perdue ’57 1994–1995
Willis B. Sheftall Jr. ’64 2013
William James Taggart 2017
Michael E. Hodge 2017
Harold L. Martin Jr. ’02 2017
Board of Trustees
MOREHOUSE COLLEGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Justin Bayless ’07
Founder & General Partner Ten Figures
Founder & President The Journey Venture Studio
A. Scott Bolden ’84
Senior Partner
Reed Smith LLP
Jeffrey Brenzel
Higher Ed Consultant, Writer, and Speaker Yale University
James “Jim” Casselberry Jr.
Chief Investment Officer 4S Bay Partners LLC
Allen M. Chan
President and CEO Robertson Scholars Leadership Program
Delman L. Coates ’95
Senior Pastor Mt. Ennon Baptist Church
Christopher B. Cowan ’87 (Secretary) Managing Director Overseas Private Investment Corp.
Javarro Edwards ’92 President JME Group LLC
Alan H. Fleischmann Founder, President, and CEO Laurel Strategies Inc.
Eddie S. Glaude Jr. ’89 Professor and Department Chair Department of African American Studies Princeton University
Valerie S. Grant Managing Director Nuveen
COLLEGE ADMINISTRATOR/EX-OFFICIO TRUSTEE
David A. Thomas
President
Morehouse College
FACULTY TRUSTEES
Jeffery Handy ’92
Asssistant Professor of Biology
STUDENT TRUSTEES
Rollin “RJ” Jackson Jr. ’25 93rd President SGA
CHAIRMEN EMERITI
Robert C. Davidson Jr. ’67
Trustees Emeriti
Billye S. Aaron
Benjamin A. Blackburn II ’61
Robert Davidson Jr. ’67
Valerie Ervin
Doug Hertz President & CEO United Distributors Inc.
Frederick S. Humphries Jr. ’83 Vice President, U.S. Government Affairs Microsoft Corp.
Samuel R. Johnson ’88 Americas Vice Chair, Market & Accounts Ernst & Young
Jennifer Mann
Senior Vice President and President of North America The Coca-Cola Company
Harold Martin Jr. ’02 CEO Taco Mac Restaurant Group
John O’Neill President, Central Region Cushman & Wakefield
Javarro Edwards ’92
President
Morehouse College National Alumni Association
Keisha Tassie Associate Professor of Communication Studies
Ulrica Wilson Associate Professor of Mathematics
Ross Justice ’25
Senior Board of Trustees Representative SGA
Tyler Mathieu ’26
Junior Board of Trustees Representative SGA
Verdun S. Perry ’94 (Vice Chairman)
Senior Managing Director and Global Head of Strategic Partners Blackstone
Ruth Simmons President Emerita Prairie View A&M University
R. Owens Williams President Emerita
Associated Colleges of the South & Transylvania University
Willie E. Woods ’85 (Chairman) President and Managing Partner ICV Partners
Otis Moss Jr. ’56
James L. Hudson ’61
Dale E. Jones ’82
Robert Levin
C. David Moody Jr. ’78
Jim Moss ’70
Avery A. Munnings ’86
John L. Thorton
F. Euclid Walker ’94
John A. Wallace
Stanley E. Washington ’85
Dorothy Cowser Yancy
Andrew Jackson Young Jr.
Georgia-Pacific
2025 Gala Sponsors
PRESENTING SPONSOR
The JME Group LLC
Ariel Investments
The Atlanta Falcons
BeiGene, Ltd.
FanDuel
AEE Productions
Brown Estate - Napa Valley
PLATINUM PLUS SPONSOR
Chick-fil-A
PLATINUM SPONSORS
Delta Air Lines
Keith Burks ’91
GOLD PLUS SPONSOR
Bank of America
GOLD SPONSORS
The Coca-Cola Company
Morgan Stanley
SILVER SPONSORS
Georgia Power
Reed Smith
BRONZE SPONSORS
Yolanda and Dale E. Jones ’82
J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.
Microsoft
Ten Figures
MAROON SPONSORS
Mangham-Scott Wealth Management
Stanley E. Washington ’85
GALA TRIBUTE SPONSORS
East Point Convention & Visitors Bureau
Willie E. Woods ’85
Trane Technologies
Sierra UPS
Walmart Business
2025 Gala Patrons
Billye Suber Aaron
Mark Allen ’90
Marvin Anderson ’62
Malcolm Berkley ’94
Thomas J. Blocker Society
Jeffrey Brenzel
Ernest Brooks ’06
Moses Brown ’75
Keith Burks ’91
Gregory Burrell ’90
John Calhoun ’90
Garry Capers ’98
Patricia Chestang Duncan
Dometrice Clemmons
Anthony Coley ’00
Todd Collins ’95
Timothy Crim ’81
Marvin Dunn ’61
Roderick Edmond ’83
Sean Forbes
Robert Franklin ’75
John Gilmore IV ’06
Gordon Greenwood ’85
Floyd Hall ’99
Kyra Harvey
J. K. Haynes ’64
Eric Hylton ’90
Venus Hylton
Rollin Jackson ’92
Jay Johnson ’98
Calvin B. Johnson ’88
Samantha Jones
DeVetus Jones ’95
Paul Judge ’99
Adam Junior ’07
Gillian Lakhan
Keith Lamar ’07
Michael Lindsay ’75
Don Long ’66
Carmen Lopez-Allen
John Majors ’95
Richard Makerson ’03
Reggie Marable ’95
Bryant Marks ’94
Eric Marshall ’94
Wayne Martin ’06
Treasure McClain
Jerome Menifee ’80
Guy Mitchell
C. David Moody Jr. ’78
Roger Morales ’92
Marlene & Jim Moss ’70
Jeffery Moten
Tuwanda Muhammad
Kevin Parker ’99
Nora Pattman
Kimberly Payne
Verdun Perry ’94
Richard Phelps
Joseph Poitier ’76
Bryan Rand ’01
Deborah Reeder
William Reeder ’75
Rufus Rivers ’86
Shaun Rodgers ’03
Charlie Rouse ’84
Rob Rumley ’98
Kenneth Saffold ’98
Darryl Sams ’84
George L. Sanders ’93
David Simpkins ’93
Timothy Sloan ’94
Eric Tait ’98
Ebony Thomas
Dr. Vasanne Tinsley
Darryl Tookes ’82
Charles Turrisi
Jonathan Lee Walton ’96
Kevin Washington ’94
Stanley Washington ’85
George Wells ’00
C. Alexander West ’66
Rashaun Williams ’01
Adrienne Willis
Charles Winfrey
Jason Wood
Keith Wright ’87
Victor Wynn ’96
Dorothy Cowser Yancy
Robert Yancy ’64
Masters of Ceremony
Brandon J. Dirden ’00 and Jason E. Dirden ’02
Brothers Brandon and Jason Dirden are accomplished actors and directors from Houston, Texas. The duo followed similar life and career paths including attending Morehouse College and graduating with Masters of Fine Arts degrees from the University of Illinois.
BRANDON J. DIRDEN ’00
Brandon J. Dirden is an actor, best known for portraying Martin Luther King Jr. in the Tony Award-winning Broadway production of Robert Schenkkan’s “All The Way.”
Brandon graduated from Morehouse College in 2000 with a degree in mathematics and drama, and later earned a Master of Fine Arts in Acting degree from the University of Illinois. The Houston native is currently working as an actor and director, as well as an associate arts professor in the Graduate Acting Department of NYU Tisch School of the Arts.
Brandon made his Broadway debut in “Prelude to a Kiss.” He has since appeared both on and off-Broadway in plays such as “Clybourne Park,” “The First Breeze of Summer,” and “Jitney.” The actor’s work has been recognized with an OBIE, a Theatre World Award, and a Vivian Robinson Recognition Award.
Brandon has also been nominated for a Drama Desk Award as the Outstanding Actor in a Play for his role in “Skeleton Crew,” as well as Drama League and Lucille Lortell awards for his work in the Signature Theatre Company revival of “The Piano Lesson.”
In 2016, Brandon made his directorial debut with August Wilson’s “Seven Guitars” at Two River Theater, a regional theater company in New Jersey. In 2017, he starred in the Broadway premiere of the Tony Award-winning “Jitney,” another August Wilson play. And in 2018, Brandon returned to Two River to direct Wilson’s “King Hedley II” to a sold-out run.
Outside the theater, Brandon played Agent Dennis Aderholt on FX’s hit TV series “The Americans.” He has also appeared on shows like Baz Luhrmann’s “The Get Down” for Netflix, FX’s “Mrs. America,” and ABC’s “For Life.”
Brandon has also been a guest lecturer at the Black Arts Institute, Spelman College, Yale University, Princeton University, Brown University, Columbia University and The Juilliard School.
He is married to actress Crystal A. Dickinson, and they have one son, Chase Ari Dirden.
JASON E. DIRDEN ’02
Jason Dirden ’02 graduated from Morehouse College with a Bachelor of Arts, then earned a Master of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of Illinois. The Houston, Texas, native grew up primarily interested in sports, but interest in acting was sparked by seeing the premiere of the TV show “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” His creative mother, his father, actor Willie Dirden, and older brother and fellow actor, Brandon, nurtured that interest. Since then, Jason has worked with his brother on several projects, including “The Piano Lesson,” “Topdog/Underdog,” and “The First Breeze of Summer.”
Jason’s hard work, dedication, and commitment to his craft have given him opportunities to work with some of Hollywood’s most renowned actors and actresses, such as Academy Award-winners Denzel Washington and Viola Davis in the Broadway revival of August Wilson’s “Fences” and his lead role in the West Coast revival of August Wilson’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” directed by Phylicia Rashad. Jason’s performances on Broadway, off-Broadway, and around the country have also been recognized critically with multiple award nominations from such organizations as the Audience Development Committee (AUDELCO), the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle, and the NAACP Theatre Awards.
In addition to his distinguished theater career, Jason is making his mark in television and films. He starred in OWN’s hit original drama series “Greenleaf” and created Gerald Aim’s character in BET’s original drama “American Soul.” Other works include Lifetime’s “Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia,” “Elementary,” and “The Start of Dreams.”
Jason says he “strives to be a part of projects that impact culture and society in a positive way.” He is married to vocalist and Tony Awardwinning actress Anika Noni Rose, who voiced Disney’s Princess Tiana in “The Princess and the Frog.”
Willie E. Woods ’85 Chairman, Morehouse College Board of Trustees
David A. Thomas, Ph.D. President, Morehouse College
Presenting Sponsor Remarks
Javarro Edwards ’92 Owner/President, The JME Group LLC
Dinner
Music provided by the Morehouse College Jazz Collective Chad E. Hughes, Ph.D., Director
Special Recognitions
President Thomas
Student Testimony and Appeal
Caleb Brinson ’25 Finance, Atlanta, Ga.
the candle awards
Candle in Religion & Social Activism Award
Otis Moss III, D.Min.’92
Bennie Service Award
Marvin Dunn, Ph.D. ’61
Candle in Arts & Entertainment Award
Pharrell Williams
the bennie awards
Bennie Achievement Award
Bryan Rand ’01
Closing Remarks
President Thomas
The College Hymn
“Dear Old Morehouse”
J.O.B. Moseley ’29
Candle in Civic Engagement & Entrepreneurship Award
John Hope Bryant
Bennie Trailblazer Award
Rashaun L. Williams ’01
Proud to support Morehouse College’s “A Candle in the Dark” Gala.
37th Annual Gala
2025 CANDLE AWARD HONOREES
For 158 years, Morehouse College has 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.
Recipient 2025 CANDLE IN RELIGION & SOCIAL ACTIVISM AWARD
OTIS MOSS III ’92
Pastor, Poet, Activist, Author, and Filmmaker
The Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III ’92 is a third-generation warrior for civil and human rights who has built a ministry on community advancement and racial and social justice activism.
A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Moss was a 1992 honors graduate of Morehouse College, where he was awarded a bachelor’s degree in religion and philosophy. He earned a Master of Divinity degree from Yale Divinity School three years later and, in 2011, was the recipient of Yale Divinity School’s award for Distinction in Congregational Ministry. Moss also earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from Chicago Theological Seminary in 2012.
An ordained minister in the Progressive National Baptist Convention and the United Church of Christ, Moss had his first pastorate in Augusta, Ga., at Tabernacle Baptist Church. Since 2008, Moss has been senior pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. He routinely preaches and practices a Black theology that calls attention to the problems of mass incarceration, environmental justice, and economic inequality.
In addition to his other ministerial duties, he serves as chaplain of the Children’s Defense Fund’s Samuel DeWitt Proctor Child Advocacy Conference. As part of his community engagement through Trinity, Moss also provides the vision for an ongoing social project in Chicago called Imani Village, which is dedicated to developing and building a physical and social community at the gateway to Chicago’s Pullman Community.
Moss is also the founder and CEO of the Unashamed Media Group, established in 2012. The production
company is a faith-based social justice collective, dedicated to curating stories to inspire the heart and challenge structures that hinder human flourishing. The group’s production, “Otis’ Dream,” is an awardwinning, documentary short film highlighting Otis Moss Sr.’s 1946 attempt to vote in Troup County, Ga.
Moss returned to his alma mater, Yale University, in 2014 to participate in the distinguished Lyman Beecher Lectureship, one of the world’s most distinguished lecture series on preaching. Over three days, he delivered lectures entitled “The Blue Note Gospel: Preaching the Prophetic Blues in a Post-Soul World.”
An author as well as lecturer, Moss’ latest book, 2022’s “Dancing in the Darkness: Spiritual Lessons for Thriving
2025 CANDLE IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT AWARD
Recipient
PHARRELL WILLIAMS
Award-winning Recording Artist, Producer, Songwriter, Philanthropist, and Creative Director for Louis Vuitton
Pharrell Williams is a creative powerhouse whose influence spans music, fashion, and philanthropy. As a producer, singer, rapper, and entrepreneur, he has shaped contemporary music for over three decades while pushing cultural boundaries with his innovative style and humanitarian efforts.
Born in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Williams first gained recognition as one-half of The Neptunes, the production duo he formed with childhood friend Chad Hugo. Together, they redefined the sound of hip-hop and R&B in the late 1990s and early 2000s, crafting charttopping hits for artists such as Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Britney Spears, and Justin Timberlake. The Neptunes’ signature futuristic beats and minimalist yet infectious melodies established them as one of the most sought-after production teams of all time, earning them multiple Grammy Awards and a permanent place in music history.
Beyond his prowess as a producer, Williams is a dynamic recording artist in his own right. As the frontman of the genre-bending band N.E.R.D., he seamlessly fused rock, funk, hip-hop, and electronic music, crafting anthems that resonated across generations. His solo career further cemented his superstar status, particularly with the 2013 release of “Happy,” a global phenomenon that became one of the best-selling singles of all time. The song, featured in the animated film “Despicable Me 2,” earned him an Academy Award nomination and embodied the joy and optimism that often permeate his music.
Williams’ influence extends into fashion, where his eye for design has made him a style icon. As the creative director of menswear at Louis Vuitton and the founder of Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream, he bridges hiphop culture with luxury fashion. His collaborations with
Adidas, Chanel, and Moncler continue to set trends. This year, he co-chaired the Met Gala, celebrating “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” an exhibition highlighting the history of Black men’s fashion and dandyism.
A philanthropist at heart, Williams has long been committed to social impact, particularly in education and racial equity. His nonprofit, Yellow, focuses on providing underserved youth with educational opportunities, while his Black Ambition initiative empowers Black and Latinx entrepreneurs through mentorship and funding.
Most recently, Williams co-composed the score for “Mufasa: The Lion King,” released earlier this month, adding his signature touch to the highly anticipated Disney prequel. He also breaks creative boundaries with “Piece by Piece,” his autobiographical Lego movie featuring an all-star cast, including Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, Gwen Stefani, and Timbaland.
Recipient 2025 CANDLE IN CIVIC ENGAGEMENT & ENTREPRENEURSHIP AWARD
JOHN HOPE BRYANT
Entrepreneur, Philanthropist, and Financial & Economic Inclusion Advocater
John Hope Bryant is an American entrepreneur, thought leader, philanthropic executive, and leading financial and economic inclusion expert. He is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Bryant Group Ventures as well as Operation HOPE, the nation’s largest on-theground nonprofit provider of financial literacy. He is a bestselling author and founded The Promise Homes Company, the largest for-profit, minority-controlled owner of institutional-quality, single-family residential rental homes in the country.
Bryant was born in Los Angeles and raised primarily in the South Central area, where he graduated from Santa Monica High School and then attended Los Angeles City College. He later attended the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government Executive Education, Global Public Policy & Leadership Program and holds honorary doctoral degrees from Paul Quinn College and Alvernia University.
At age 26 in 1992, immediately following the L.A. Riots, Bryant founded Operation HOPE Inc. The public benefit investment banking organization is composed, in part, of a national network of inner-city banking centers that serve low-wealth communities. Following 9/11, Bryant worked with President George W. Bush to make financial literacy an official policy of the U.S. federal government. He served on Bush’s Advisory Council on Financial Literacy as well as President Obama’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability, and he inspired the U.S. Treasury Department to host an annual Freedman’s Bank Forum to reduce economic inequality.
Bryant is the author of several books, including “Banking on our Future: A Program for Teaching You
and Your Kids about Money,” and “Financial Literacy for All.” In 2024, TIME magazine named Bryant to its inaugural list of The Closers, 18 global leaders working to close the racial wealth gap. He is a CNBC contributor, host of the iHeartRadio podcast, “Money and Wealth with John Hope Bryant,” and a CNBC Global Financial Wellness Council member. He has more than 3 million followers across his social media platforms.
Bryant has received hundreds of awards and citations for his work, including Oprah Winfrey’s Use Your Life Award and the Treasury Department’s John Sherman Award for Excellence in Financial Education. He was part of TIME magazine’s inaugural class of “50 Leaders for the Future” in 1994 and named “Innovator of the Year” by American Banker in
37th Annual Gala
2025 BENNIE AWARD HONOREES
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.
Recipient 2025 BENNIE SERVICE AWARD
MARVIN DUNN ’61
Author, Historian, Educator, Veteran, Race Relations Expert, and Social Activist
Psychologist, historian, author, and community activist Marvin Dunn ’61 was born in an orange grove barn in the Blackberry community of DeLand, Florida, in June 1940. His mother, Corinne Elizabeth Williams, was a housecleaner and cook, and his father, James C. Dunn Sr., was a fruit and vegetable picker. A member of a migrant family, Dunn was the second of five siblings who harvested crops in DeLand as well as Hicksville on Long Island, New York.
At DeLand’s Euclid High School, Principal Freeman W. Hinson urged Dunn to take a Ford Foundation early admission exam, which allowed him to enter Morehouse College in 1957 and graduate with a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1961. Dunn’s classmates included future Morehouse President Leroy Keith Jr., future Surgeon General David Satcher, M.D., and politician Maynard H. Jackson, who became Atlanta’s first Black mayor.
From 1961-1967, Dunn served as a U.S. naval officer aboard two aircraft carriers. He then earned his master’s degree in education, administration, and
supervision, and in 1972, he received a doctorate in psychology from the University of Tennessee–Knoxville. Dunn began his career as a psychologist for the Dade County Public School Board and Florida Model Cities Community Classroom Program. Then, in 1972, he started a 34-year professorship at Florida International University (FIU), where he founded the Cultural & Human Interaction Center, served as associate vice president for University Outreach & Services, and as acting director of the African New World Studies Program. After the 1980 Miami Riots, he established an alternative high school, the Dr. Marvin Dunn Academy for Community Education.
Dunn was appointed FIU psychology department chair in 2000, a post he held until his 2006 retirement. While there, he co-produced several video documentaries. His FIU archival collection now consists of more than 4,000 photographs and images reflecting the Florida Black experience.
As a historian specializing in Black Florida history and culture, Dunn is the founder and president of the Miami Center for Racial Justice and is known for organizing the “Teach the Truth” tours, which highlight Florida’s history of racial violence. Center staff members take participants to historic sites in Florida related to the history of racial violence in the state. In July 2024, the center received a Mellon Foundation grant of $1.5 million to extend this work to Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi.
Dunn’s books include “A History of Florida Through Black Eyes,” “Black Miami in the Twentieth Century,” and “The Miami Riot of 1980: Crossing the Bounds.”
Recipient 2025 BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
BRYAN RAND ’01
Deal Maker, Entrepreneur, and Civic Leader; Founder, Chairman, and CEO, Rand & Co Holdings
Bryan Rand, the founder and CEO of Rand & Co Holdings LLC, is an entrepreneur, builder, and advocate for the transformative potential of business ownership. He has spent his career proving that business ownership can transform communities, empower individuals, and create lasting impact.
Growing up in Indianapolis as the only son of firstgeneration college graduates and small-business owners, Rand witnessed how local businesses can serve as the lifeblood of neighborhoods—creating jobs, providing services, and fostering economic resilience. That experience instilled in him a lifelong passion for building businesses with purpose and a generational mindset.
In 2001 Rand graduated from Morehouse magna cum laude with dual degrees in German studies and business administration with a concentration in finance. After earning an MBA from Harvard Business School as a Credit Suisse Fellow, Rand began his career in New York City at Credit Suisse, working in the investment bank and its private equity investing affiliate, DLJ Merchant Banking Partners.
Following his work at Credit Suisse, Rand held positions working with Tritium Partners, a private equity firm managing more than $1.5 billion in assets. He also helped launch Brightwood Capital Advisors, where he worked with a small team to acquire a $200 million distressed credit portfolio from a major Wall Street investment bank. Rand has also served as board chair and president of Vacation Innovations, the largest marketplace in the vacation ownership industry.
In 2015, Rand founded the private equity firm Rand & Co Holdings LLC (RCH), for which he currently serves as CEO. The private holding company creates, acquires,
and grows private businesses, holding them longterm while prioritizing sustainable growth over quick exits. The RCH portfolio consists of companies with more than $400 million in combined annual revenue and over 2,000 employees across diverse sectors, including manufacturing, distribution, consumer goods, government services, retail, and hospitality. RCH owns its companies outright or in collaboration with trusted friends and family members as co-investors, ensuring a shared commitment to long-term value creation.
Notably, every RCH-backed CEO is a person of color, a woman, or someone based more than one hour from a major urban center. And in each company, RCH serves as the majority owner or largest non-founder owner, shaping key strategic and capital market decisions.
A dedicated civic leader, Rand uses his platform to give back. He serves on the boards of the Southern 7 Chapter of the Young Presidents’ Organization, the Buckhead Coalition, and the Investment Committee of the Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta. He is also the former chair of the Morehouse Department of Business and Economics Advisory Board, and a life member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc.
Rand lives in Atlanta with his wife, Dr. Tiffany Jamison-Rand, owner of Polish Dental Centers, and their three children: Jamison, Rohan, and Drake ’22.
Recipient 2025 BENNIE TRAILBLAZER AWARD
RASHAUN L. WILLIAMS ’01
Venture Capitalist, Financial Literacy Advocate, and Atlanta Falcons Limited Partnerr
Rashaun L. Williams ‘01 is a successful venture capitalist, veteran guest Shark on the TV show “Shark Tank,” and Atlanta Falcons limited partner today. But Williams grew up on the south side of Chicago, knowing what it was like to sometimes live in a home with no heat or electricity in winter.
“We grew up very poor in a neighborhood where you’re watching everybody living the American dream from afar,” he said in a 2024 interview with ABC7-TV in Chicago. “But that inspired me to learn about money and what I can do to stop this from happening to my family and my community.”
Williams graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in economics from Morehouse College in 2001. He had a passion for financial literacy and entrepreneurship, so in 2001, he also founded the Kemet Institute, a nonprofit focused on providing free financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and life skills classes to under-served communities and schools. “We have helped thousands of students, adults, athletes, and entertainers build and conserve wealth,” Williams said. “Our financial literacy workshops are available to the general public and are customized to serve children, teens, adults, and senior citizens.”
Over the last 20 years, Williams has been primarily responsible for bringing capital to emerging, diverse, and alternative markets while working at Wall Street firms such as The Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Wachovia Securities, and Deutsche Bank. In 2007, he founded Dixsville Partners, a private equity fund investing in infrastructure development and mineral companies in West Africa.
In 2012, Williams became the founder and chairman of the Value Investment Group, a family office specializing
in influencer-backed private equity, venture capital, and real estate investments. He is also co-founder of the venture capital fund Queensbridge Venture Partners, a general partner in the MVP All-Star Fund, and an early investor in companies such as Lyft Inc., Dropbox Inc., and PillPack Inc. Williams also founded and owns Antimatter Business Partners, which teaches athletes and entertainers how to operate their own private equity family offices.
Williams has appeared as a guest shark on the TV show “Shark Tank,” and in May 2024 became a limited partner in the Atlanta Falcons ownership group. Falcons owner Arthur Blank called Williams “an impressive leader who had made an impact in a variety of enterprises while making a difference in the world.”
“As an alumnus of Morehouse College now raising a family in Atlanta, I could not be more excited to invest in the Falcons,” said Williams. “I believe in the immense potential of this team and this city to Rise Up to the greatest heights, and I look forward to supporting the Falcons and the City of Atlanta for many successful seasons to come.”
Williams also is a member of the Board of Directors for the Atlanta Opera, the Board of Trustees for Fisk University, and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
As the world recognizes the need for socially responsible leaders, Morehouse College is poised with a pipeline of exceptional Men of Consequence who are prepared to do what Morehouse Men have done for more than a century—lead, serve, and work on the frontlines of change. We are working toward a future in which our endowment will allow the financial flexibility to support all deserving scholars, and the scholarships we offer students will be need blind. Your philanthropic investment will help ensure that Morehouse continues to produce enterprising, accomplished men who change the narrative, change the system, change each other, and change the world.
MOREHOUSE HAS LAUNCHED THE HISTORIC $500 MILLION MAKING MEN OF CONSEQUENCE CAMPAIGN TO FUND EXPANSIONS IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS:
▪ Student scholarships and support services
▪ Faculty research and professorships
▪ Innovative academic programs and access to global learning experiences
▪ Technology infrastructure upgrades and renovation projects on the College’s historic, 66-acre campus
Text ‘Morehouse’ to 855-929-0389 Or visit giving.morehouse.edu
MOREHOUSE COLLEGE
2025 Gala Presenters, Jazz Collective & Ushers
CALL TO CELEBRATION
Brandon J. Dirden ’00 & Jason E. Dirden ’02 introduced by Darion Johnson ’25 Educational Studies & Sociology, Belle Glade, Fla.
Richard A. Chandler ’25 Biology, Louisville, Ky.
CANDLE FOR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT & ENTREPRENEURSHIP AWARD RECIPIENT
John Hope Bryant introduced by Anwar F. Karim ’26 Cinema, Television, and Emerging Media Studies, Fairfax, Va.
Chad “Sir Wick” Hughes, Ph.D. Director
SAXOPHONES
Clark Brown ’26 Sociology Charlotte, N.C.
Jaiden Ty Brown ’26 Communication Studies Yulee, Fla.
Christian L. Johnson ’26 Software Engineering Atlanta, Ga.
Sheik Kante ’28 Business Administration Bronx, N.Y.
Brogan Korta ’25 Accounting East Point, Ga.
Lennox Lee ’26 Education Science New Rochelle, N.Y.
Tyler Lewis ’27 Journalism in Sports, Culture, and Social Justice Charlotte, N.C.
BENNIE SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENT
Marvin Dunn ’61 introduced by Jah’Karious N. E. A. Conley ’25 Psychology & Religion, Jackson, Tenn.
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD RECIPIENT
Bryan Rand ’01 introduced by Miles Guy Moten ’25
Business Administration: Management Concentration, Richmond, Va.
Tillman W. Payne IV ’25
Business Administration: Finance Concentration, Nashville, Tenn.
TRUMPETS
Winston Doss ’25
Computer Science Chicago, Ill.
London Sheperd ’26 Music
Oklahoma City, Okla.
Tariq Tufts ’25 Education/Music Cleveland, Ohio
Sean Williams ’25 Psychology Augusta, Ga.
Jeremy Warden ’26 Psychology Marietta, Ga.
VOCALS
Jaelynn Pearson C’25
Psychology Philadelphia, Pa.
Sasha Elizabeth Williams C’25
Psychology Madison, Miss.
Khyler McAlpine ’26 Applied Physics Miami, Fla.
Elijah Megginson ’25
English and Economics Brooklyn, N.Y.
Joe Norington-Reaves ’27 Economics and Philosophy Chicago, Ill.
Joe Pecot ’26
Engineering Los Angeles, Calif.
Damaje Smith ’27
Political Science and Sociology Newark, N.J.
Caval Spearman Jr. ’26
Theater Chicago, Ill.
Quentin Tucker ’25
Business Administration Concentration in Finance Chicago, Ill.
Xavier Woodhouse ’27
Political Science and Sociology Chicago, Ill.
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 nonprofit 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 of higher learning; 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 males 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, “A Candle in the Dark: A History of Morehouse College.” 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 Glassblowers in Smyrna, Ga.
“Bennie” recipients, who must be graduates of the College, receive recognition in the categories of service, achievement, and leadership. 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 hundreds of 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 invitations for the “A Candle in the Dark” Gala. Since its inception, the Gala has grossed more than $40 million, with net proceeds benefiting the Morehouse College General Scholarship Fund. 37th
“a
2024
BENNIE SERVICE
The Rev. Dr. Aaron L. Parker Sr. ’75 Senior Pastor, Zion Hill Baptist Church and Professor, Philosophy and Religion Department, Morehouse College
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
John David Washington ’06 Film producer, and SAG and Golden Globe-Award Nominated Actor
BENNIE LEADERSHIP
Dale E. Jones ’82 CEO, Magna Vista Partners and Morehouse College Trustee Emeritus
CANDLE IN BUSINESS AND PHILANTHROPY
Raymond J. McGuire President, Lazard
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Mack Wilbourn Owner and President, Mack II Inc.
2023
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
Terry L.Woodard ’81
Managing Director and Vice Chairman, Financial Sponsors Group, Private Bank, J.P. Morgan
BENNIE LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE
James W. Compton ’61 Civic Leader and Former President, Chicago Urban League
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER
Sanford L. Biggers ’92
Acclaimed Visual Artist and Sculptor
CANDLE IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND PHILANTHROPY
David J. Grain Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Grain Management
CANDLE IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Courtney B. Vance Award-Winning Actor and Producer
2022
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
Paul S. “PJ” Morton Jr. ’03
Grammy Award-Winning Musician,Composer, Educator, Recording Artist, and Member of Maroon 5
BENNIE LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE
Bakari T. Sellers, ESQ. ’05
CNN Contributor, Author, and former Member of the South Carolina House of Representatives
BENNIE AND CANDLE HONOREES
1989–2024
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER
John K. “JK” Haynes, Ph.D. ’64
Distinguished Educator, Researcher and former Dean of Science and Mathematics, Morehouse College
CANDLE IN LEADERSHIP AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
Marc H. Morial
President and CEO, National Urban League Former Mayor of New Orleans
CANDLE IN TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION
Charles E. Phillips
Managing Partner and Co-Founder, RECOGNIZE Former CEO of Infor
CANDLE IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND PHILANTHROPY
Judson W. Pickard Jr. Cincinnati Businessman, Philanthropist Owner of McDonald’s Franchises
CANDLE IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND PHILANTHROPY
William “Bill” F. Pickard, Ph.D. *
President and Co-Owner, Real Times Media Chairman, Global Automotive Alliance
Detroit Businessman, Philanthropist, and Author
2021
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
BENNIE SERVICE
Robert “Rob” Gore, M.D. ’98
Physician and Founder, Kings Against Violence Initiative Inc.
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER
Raphael G. Warnock ’91
U.S. Senator from Georgia Senior Pastor, Ebenezer Baptist Church
CANDLE IN LAW AND INNOVATION
Kenneth C. Frazier
Chairman, President and CEO, Merck
CANDLE IN EDUCATION AND PHILANTHROPY
Darren Walker
President and CEO, Ford Foundation
CANDLE IN BUSINESS, ARTS, AND ENTERTAINMENT
Byron Allen
Founder, Chairman and CEO, Allen Media Group Media Mogul, Philanthropist
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 Institution
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
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
Chief Executive Officer, President, and Director, Silicon Valley Community Foundation
BENNIE LEADERSHIP
Cedric I. Richmond ’95
U.S. Representative Louisiana’s 2nd Congressional District
CANDLE IN BUSINESS
William M. Lewis Jr.
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 and 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 New Look Foundation
Acclaimed Singer, Dancer, Actor, Producer and Philanthropist
CANDLE IN PHILANTHROPY, ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Tyler Perry
Owner, The Tyler Perry Co. Inc.
Actor, Director, Screenwriter, Producer, Playwright, Author and Philanthropist
BENNIE AND CANDLE HONOREES 1989–2024
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
Founding Executive Director
David C. Driskell Center University of Maryland, College Park
CANDLE IN BUSINESS AND LAW
Christopher P. Reynolds Chief Legal Officer Toyota Motor North America
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Richard Roundtree * Award-Nominated Actor
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN CIVIL RIGHTS AND PUBLIC SERVICE
John Lewis * Civil Rights Activist 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
2014
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
James H. Shelton III ’89
Acting Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Education
BENNIE SERVICE
Donald L. Hense ’70 Educator, Founder and CEO of the Friendship Public Charter School
BENNIE LEADERSHIP
John E. Williams ’69 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 * Professor of Economics and Acting President Morehouse College
CANDLE IN SCIENCE
Charles F. Bolden
NASA Administrator and Famed Astronaut
CANDLE IN BUSINESS
Ulysses L. Bridgeman Jr. Founder and CEO, Bridgeman Foods Inc. Former NBA Star
CANDLE IN ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Laurence J. Fishburne
Critically Acclaimed Actor, Director and Producer
BENNIE AND CANDLE HONOREES 1989–2024
2012
BENNIE LEADERSHIP
Herman F. Bostick, Ph.D. ’49 * Distinguished Professor Howard University
BENNIE SERVICE
Earl F. Hilliard ’64 Former United States Congressman
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
Calvin W. McLarin, M.D. ’68 * Renowned Cardiologist
CANDLE IN EDUCATION
Robert M. Franklin, Ph.D. ’75 10th President, Morehouse College and Distinguished Professor
CANDLE IN HUMANITARIAN SERVICE AND BUSINESS
Earl W. Stafford Sr. 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
Distinguished Space Scientist and Educator University of California at Davis
CANDLE IN BUSINESS AND LAW
Donald V. Watkins
Noted Entrepreneur and Attorney, Donald V. Watkins, P.C.
CANDLE IN RELIGION
Harry S. Wright Sr. ’53
Pastor Emeritus Cornerstone Baptist Church, Brooklyn, N.Y.
CANDLE IN JOURNALISM
Ronald R. Davenport Sr. Radio Broadcasting Pioneer Chairman, Sheridan Broadcasting Corp.
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
BENNIE LEADERSHIP
Ronald S. Sullivan Jr. ’89
Distinguished Clinical Professor of Law Director, Harvard Criminal Justice Institute, Harvard Law School
BENNIE SERVICE
Perry A. Henderson, M.D. ’54
Renowned, Retired Physician and Professor of OB/GYN, University of WisconsinMadison Medical School
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
Julius E. Coles ’63
Internationally-renowned Career Minister and Foreign Service Officer (USAID)
Immediate Past President, Africare
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER
Lonnie C. King ’69 * Noted Civil Rights Activist President and CEO, Onyx Development Co. LLC
CANDLE IN HEALTHCARE MANAGEMENT
Lloyd Dean
President and Chief Executive Officer Catholic Healthcare West
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 Music Industry Pioneer Entrepreneur and Philanthropist Chairman, Island Def Jam Music Group
2009
BENNIE LEADERSHIP
Charles David Moody ’78 Entrepreneur and Business Executive Owner, President, and CEO 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 and Philanthropist President and CEO, American Shared Hospital Services Inc.
CANDLE IN RELIGION
Samuel Berry McKinney ’49 * Civil Rights Activist and Pastor Emeritus, Mount Zion Baptist Church, Seattle, Wash.
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN SPORTS AND SOCIAL ACTIVISM
Tommie Smith
1968 Olympic Gold Medalist and Human Rights Activist
2008
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
M. William Howard Jr. ’68 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, M.D. ’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
Senior Pastor, Third Baptist Church Noted Civil and Human Rights Activist
CANDLE IN BUSINESS
Alden J. McDonald Jr. Prominent Businessman CEO and President, Liberty Bank & Trust
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN HUMAN AND CIVIL RIGHTS
Joseph E. Lowery * Renowned Civil Rights Activist Co-Founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Roscoe Lee Browne * Acclaimed Actor and Renowned Poet
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Sidney Poitier * Academy Award-Winning Actor
2006
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
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER
Thomas G. Sampson, Sr. ’68
Managing Partner, Thomas, Kennedy, Sampson & Patterson Law Firm
CANDLE IN BUSINESS
Alphonse Fletcher Jr.
Prominent Businessman Fletcher Asset Management Inc.
BENNIE AND CANDLE HONOREES
1989–2024
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
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 L. Truesdale ’71 * Distinguished Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon
BENNIE LEADERSHIP
Reginald Davis ’84 Head of Business Banking, SunTrust
CANDLE IN BUSINESS
Herman J. Russell * Chairman H.J. Russell & Company
CANDLE IN EDUCATION
Charles J. Ogletree *
Jesse Climenko Professor of Law Harvard University
CANDLE IN MEDICINE
Charles J. McDonald
Professor of Medical Science Chair, Department of Dermatology Brown University School of Medicine
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Berry Gordy 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.
CANDLE IN MEDICINE
LaSalle D. Lefall Jr. *
Charles R. Drew Professor of Surgery Howard University
CANDLE IN LEADERSHIP
Jesse Hill Jr. * Former Chairman Atlanta Life Insurance Co.
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Ossie Davis * Acclaimed Actor & Activist
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 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 Laurance S. Rockefeller Professor of Philosophy Princeton University
CANDLE IN JOURNALISM
Ed Bradley * Award-Winning Journalist Senior Correspondent, CBS’ “60 Minutes”
CANDLE IN MEDICINE
Keith L. Black Director, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute and Division of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Chairman, Department of Neurological Surgery, The University of California at Irvine
2002
BENNIE ACHIEVEMENT
Artis A. White ’51 * Maxillofacial Prosthodontist
BENNIE SERVICE
Tobe Johnson Jr. ’54 * Distinguished Political Scientist and Chair, Department of Political Science, Morehouse College
BENNIE LEADERSHIP
James H. Sills Jr. ’55 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
Ezra C. Davidson Jr. ’54 * Distinguished Physician and Educator
BENNIE SERVICE
Horace T. Ward ’49 * U.S. Federal Judge and Civil Rights Attorney
BENNIE LEADERSHIP
Charles “Chuck” H. James III ’81 * President and CEO, C.H. James & Co.
BENNIE AND CANDLE HONOREES 1989–2024
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER
Howard F. Jeter ’70 U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria
CANDLE IN HUMAN AND CIVIL RIGHTS
C.T. Vivian * Civil Rights Strategist
CANDLE IN SOCIAL ACTIVISM
Dick Gregory * Civil Rights Activist, Nutritionist, and Comedian
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Harry Belafonte * Award-Winning Actor/Entertainment Legend
CANDLE FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Ray Charles * World-Renowned R&B Legend and Songwriter
2000
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, Michigan State University Former CEO, TIAA-CREF
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.
CANDLE IN EDUCATION
John Hope Franklin *
James B. Duke Professor Emeritus of History and Professor of Legal History, The Law School, Duke University
CANDLE IN THE MILITARY
Robert L. Toney *
Former Director for Logistics and Security Assistance U.S. Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith
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 Senior Vice President, Atlanta Braves
BENNIE AND CANDLE HONOREES
1989–2024
CANDLE IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Denzel Washington 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
BENNIE TRAILBLAZER
Louis Sullivan, M.D. ’54 Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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, Baltimore, Md.
CANDLE IN MILITARY
Fred A. Gorden
Commandant of Cadets, U.S. Military Academy
CANDLE IN RELIGION
Eugene A. Marino * Archbishop, Atlanta Catholic Archdiocese
CANDLE IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Benjamin Carson Chief, Pediatric Neurosurgery
Johns Hopkins Hospital
Congratulations to the 2025 Award Winners! proudly sponsors The 37th Annual
We exist to transform the lives of those who entrust us with their financial futures.
Proudly supporting the 37th Annual "A Candle in the Dark" Gala
Ariel Investments is an independent money management firm founded in 1983 and built on a philosophy of patient, long-term investing for institutional investors, professional advisors, investment consultants and future-thinking individuals from all walks of life.
Morgan Stanley is proud to support
College’s Annual "A Candle in the Dark" Gala
At Morgan Stanley, diversity is an opportunity for clients, employees and the firm. Our commitment to Diversity and Inclusion is fundamental to our role as a global leader striving for excellence in all that we do. By valuing diverse perspectives, we continue to expand our inclusive culture, focus on our people and deliver innovative solutions to the communities where we live and work.
Learn more at morganstanley.com/about-us/diversity
Reed Smith is a proud sponsor of the “A Candle in the Dark” Gala by the esteemed Morehouse College. Congratulations to the highly distinguished honorees for their outstanding contributions in business, law, education, science, technology, sports, entertainment, and other professions. We appreciate your contributions to our communities and admire your achievements.
A. Scott Bolden Partner,
Washington, DC Morehouse College Graduating Class of 1984
A FUTURE SO BRIGHT YOU CAN ALMOST TASTE IT
FROM YOUTH DEVELOPMENT TO SKILLS-BASED LEARNING, COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS AND MORE, WE ARE PROUD TO SUPPORT EDUCATION BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM BECAUSE EVERYONE WITH A THIRST TO LEARN SHOULD HAVE THE CHANCE TO PURSUE THEIR DREAMS.
believe economic growth must reach every community. That means ensuring everyone has the skills to thrive in an AI-enabled economy, and every organization is empowered to take on society’s biggest challenges.
The Atlanta Falcons are proud to support Morehouse College’s 37th Annual
“A Candle in the Dark Gala” and congratulate Rashaun Williams on being named a 2025 Bennie Award Honoree
PARENTS & FAMILY WEEKEND 2025 Nov 7- 9 Support Support
2025 Gala Steering Committee
Henry M. Goodgame Jr. ’84
Chair, Founder’s Week Planning Committee Vice President, Office of External Relations and Alumni Engagement
Joe Carlos III ’04 Director of Alumni Engagement, Programming and Events
Candace Bazemore Director, Digital Strategy and Transformation Office of Strategic Marketing & Communications
Kimberly M. Brown Alumni Engagement Coordinator Office of External Relations & Alumni Engagement
Lawrence E. Carter Sr. Dean, Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel Chair, Founder’s Day Worship Service
Shiekgo Carter Associate Director Office of Event Support Services
Gary C. Clark II ’15 Multimedia Coordinator Office of External Relations and Alumni Engagement
Michael Davenport Director of Transportation MDMC Transportation Services
D. Aileen Dodd
Associate Vice President of Advancement Communications and Marketing Office of Institutional Advancement
