WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 19, 2023) — The 2023 Thurgood Marshall College Fund Leadership Institute presented by Wells Fargo and the “Leaders and Legends” Awards and Fundraising Gala are here. It promises to be an exciting and memorable week of networking, learning, development, entertainment, fun, and reflection.
This week crystalizes every positive aspect of TMCF’s work throughout the year to carry forward the legacy of Justice Thurgood Marshall. Justice Marshall dedicated his career to fighting for educational equity and social justice, the same issues the country continues grappling with. TMCF enhances the nearly 90-year work of Justice Marshall for over three decades to provide direct resources to HBCUs to nurture and advance Black talent in the workforce that will provide economic mobility for Black students and their communities.
The Leadership Institute and Awards and Fundraising Gala are ways TMCF is transforming Marshall’s vision of an equitable society and creating pathways to opportunities into a reality.
The theme of the Leadership Institute presented by Wells Fargo, which will take place from Wednesday, September 20 through Saturday, September 23 at the Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C., is “Claim Your Flame,” which kindles interest and prepares students to blaze a path of success and allows them to navigate the world’s most complex and challenging problems confidently.
The Leadership Institute presented by Wells Fargo, now in its 23rd year, is a national program intended to develop students’ leadership skills, create a community of scholars, provide companies access to a talented and diverse student population, and help students make connections that lead to careers. This power-packed four-day conference prepares carefully selected students from the publicly supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs) that TMCF supports to compete in today’s competitive global workforce. It is also part of a larger mission to advance pathways toward economic mobility for HBCU students and intentionally diversify the future workforce within corporate America.
The conference hosts over 400 HBCU students annually and provides organizations access to a talented and diverse student population while helping participants connect to Fortune 100 companies and top-tier companies.
Meanwhile, Daytime Emmy Award-winning talk show host, comedian, actress, and best-selling author Sherri Shepherd will host the 36th Annual “Leaders and Legends” Awards and Fundraising Gala, which will be held on Saturday, September 23, beginning at 7 p.m. The event will feature a performance from R&B legend Chante’ Moore.
NBA Hall of Famer and four-time NBA champion Shaquille O’Neal will receive the esteemed Breaking Barriers Award. Thasunda Brown Duckett, the Chief Executive Officer of TIAA, will be recognized as the CEO of the Year. Additionally, the outstanding achievements of Dr. Quinton T. Ross, Jr., President of Alabama State University, as the Educator of the Year will be celebrated.
The TMCF Anniversary Awards Gala: Leaders & Legends occurs at the end of Leadership Institute and celebrates the success of the student participants is a major TMCF fundraiser. This event hosts over 1,000 attendees annually, including over 400 HBCU students and guests. The guest list consists of a who’s who of top government, corporate, philanthropic, higher education, and HBCU leaders. All proceeds from this black-tie event support scholarships and programs for nearly 300,000 students at TMCF member schools and publicly-supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
For more information about TMCF or purchasing tables and seats for the Gala, visit tmcf.org/gala.
NOTE: Working press members who wish to cover this event must obtain press credentials. To obtain credentials, contact robert.knox@tmcf.org.
