From left, Dr. Johnnie Thomas, Rich Township 227 superintendent; Dr. Tiffany Brunson, Elementary School District 159 superintendent; Dr. Sandra Thomas, Superintendents’ Commission president; Dr. Blondean Y. Davis, Matteson School District 162 superintendent; Lisa Rollins, UNCF Regional Development Director; Vivian Covington, president of the Democratic Women of the Southland; State Rep. Debbie Meyers-Martin (38th district); Dr. Anita Rice, Lincoln Elementary School District 156; and Dr. Jerome Ferrell, South Holland School District 150 superintendent (Photo Credit: LeVern A. Danley).
Leaders gathered at the Tinley Park Convention Center for the third annual “Investing in Our Future” Scholarship Gala—a night of purpose that brought the community together to lift local youth through education.
Rich Township District Superintendent Johnnie Thomas set the tone with a story that cut to the heart of the mission. “I had the unique opportunity, a few days ago, to give a Tougaloo College Scholarship—full tuition, full room and board—to a family in our community,” he recalled. “And I could not finish talking to the family because they cried the whole time I was announcing the scholarship.” That moment showed why nearly 40 superintendents joined forces with the United Negro College Fund: because access to college can change lives.
“It goes to show you that our families want the best for their children. They want to have the opportunity for their children to go further than they have, and it’s up to us as a community to create those pathways for them to do well.”
More than 300 students from 10 suburban high school districts entertained more than 1,000 attendees at the Investing in Our Future 3rd Annual Scholarship Gala on February 21 at the Tinley Park Convention Center. The gala is a joint effort of the Superintendents’ Commission for the Study of Demographics and Diversity and the UNCF, United Negro College Fund, to raise money for scholarships (Photo Credit: LeVern A. Danley).
For the third year in a row, the Superintendents’ Commission for the Study of Demographics and Diversity (SCSDD) and UNCF proved that unity builds opportunity. The gala was a true party with a purpose. Guests enjoyed fine dining, live entertainment, dancing, and a powerful performance by the Superintendents’ Commission Choir—300 students from 10 high schools delivering stirring gospel standards. Honorees for the night included Toni Preckwinkle, president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, and Illinois State Representative William “Will” Davis, with Marseil “Action” Jackson taking charge as emcee.
Last year’s event raised more than $400,000. That achievement enabled the awarding of 90 Ron Edmond Scholarship Awards and 10 full-ride scholarships from Tougaloo College, a historically Black college in Mississippi. Johnnie Thomas explained, “Well, I’m here tonight to create more opportunities for our youth, especially after they get out of high school. So this is an opportunity for us to remove obstacles and find the best way to show them that the community loves and supports them by raising scholarship money for our youth. So I am here for that. I’m here because I love these children, and I just want to make sure that we, as a people, stay together as a community.”
From left, Fred Mitchell, vice president of development for UNCF’s Mid-Atlantic and Midwest region; Lisa Rollins, UNCF Regional Development Director; Dr. Johnnie Thomas, Dr. Blondean Y. Davis and Dr. Sandra Thomas celebrate the successful partnership of the UNCF and Superintendents’ Commission. In three years, the gala has raised close to $1 million toward scholarships for local students, according to organizers (Photo Credit: LeVern A. Danley).
Sandra Thomas, president of the 37-member Superintendents’ Commission, summed up the spirit of the night. “So let me start by saying, you know the old adage, saying ‘A mind is a terrible thing to waste?’ which is UNCF’s motto, it is a terrible thing to waste. It is our responsibility as superintendents to ensure that our students have an opportunity for post-secondary careers and vocational careers. In order to do that, our children need help. They need financial support in order to obtain their dreams. It’s our responsibility to do that.” She credited Matteson School District 162 superintendent and Southland College Prep Charter High School CEO Blondean Y. Davis for sparking the collaboration that brought vital resources to both the Southland and Chicagoland areas.
State Rep. Debbie Meyers-Martin added, “I certainly support United Negro College Fund and the work that they do nationally, but certainly for they what they do for the students here, especially in the Southland, because I represent nine municipalities in the Chicago Southland, and it is such a pleasure to support an organization that helps our students.”
Davis reflected on her decades-long commitment to the cause: “We just exist to do everything that we can for our children, and that’s what tonight is all about. If I could, we would provide a means for every child who walks across the stage and gets a high school diploma and wants to go and get a college degree.”
The impact of the evening carries forward. Sandra Thomas reminded supporters, “I would like to add that this event is not the only time that you could donate to this worthy cause. We have a March 20 event that’s coming up where children will actually receive the scholarship funds that we raise tonight.”
Johnnie Thomas’s moving story shows that when the community unites, every child gets a chance to soar.
Here are more photos from the “Investing in Our Future” Scholarship Gala, all photos by LeVern A. Danley:
From left, Dr. Johnnie Thomas, Rich Township High School District 227 superintendent, and Dr. Blondean Y. Davis, Matteson School District 162 superintendent and Southland College Prep Charter High School CEO, were the co-chairs of the Investing in Our Future Scholarship Gala.
More than 300 students from 10 high school districts performed as the Superintendents’ Commission choir during the scholarship gala.
State Rep. Will Davis, right, was an award recipient at the Superintendents Commission “Investing in Our Future” fundraiser for UNCF. From left, Dr. Johnnie Thomas, event co-chair, and Kenya Hayslett, a senior at Rich Township High School, presented Davis with a portrait, created by Hayslett.
Tacuma R. Roeback is the Managing Editor for the Chicago Defender.
His journalism, non-fiction, and fiction have appeared in the Smithsonian Magazine, San Francisco Chronicle, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Tennessean, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Phoenix New Times, HipHopDX.com, Okayplayer.com, The Shadow League, SAGE: The Encyclopedia of Identity, Downstate Story, Tidal Basin Review, and Reverie: Midwest African American Literature.
He is an alumnus of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, Chicago State University, and Florida A&M University.
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Tags: Blondean Y. Davis, Chicagoland, Community Impact, Debbie Meyers-Martin, Education, Investing in Our Future, Johnnie Thomas, Sandra Thomas, Scholarship Gala, Tacuma Roeback, Tinley Park, UNCF
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