Baltimore will host a gathering with both national reach and deep local impact on Sunday, October 19, 2025, with the theme “I Love My HBCU?” presents “UnPoliticized Blackness: A Brunch” at the Frederick Douglass–Isaac Myers Maritime Park.
The event is designed to raise funds for the PowerMyFuture Fund, which clears final tuition balances that often prevent HBCU seniors from graduating. For many students, a balance of just a few hundred dollars can delay a degree, job opportunities, and future stability. The brunch aims to break down those barriers while also celebrating national leaders whose work embodies excellence and has a profound impact on the community.
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Among the honorees is Dr. Makola M. Abdullah, President of Virginia State University, who will receive the 2025 HBCU Pillar Award. Since his appointment in 2016, Dr. Abdullah has guided VSU through a period of unprecedented growth. Under his leadership, the university has reached its highest retention and four-year graduation rates in history, more than tripled its financial reserves, and launched significant campus improvements, including the $120 million Alfred W. Harris Academic Commons—the largest single building project in VSU’s history. His Preeminence with Purpose strategic plan emphasizes student access, academic excellence, and holistic development, making him a model of forward-thinking leadership at HBCUs.
@media ( min-width: 300px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-1{min-height: 100px;}}@media ( min-width: 728px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-1{min-height: 90px;}}Raymone Jackson President of T Rowe Price Foundation.Courtesy PhotoRaymone T. Jackson, President of the T. Rowe Price Foundation and Head of Community Affairs at T. Rowe Price, will be honored with the 2025 Corporate Social Responsibility Award. Jackson leads the firm’s community investment, foundation activities, and diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy, while also overseeing corporate communications. Before joining T. Rowe Price, he served as National Diversity Officer at Morgan Stanley, guiding initiatives across 600 offices and 20,000 employees. He also previously held leadership roles at Northwestern Mutual. His career reflects a commitment to building inclusive cultures at scale while channeling resources into the communities where they matter most.
DC Central Kitchen – Workforce Development graduation. Photo courtesy of DC Central KitchenDC Central Kitchen, a Washington, D.C.–based nonprofit that has become a national model for tackling hunger and poverty, will be recognized with the 2025 Community Impact Award. Known for “fighting hunger differently,” the organization goes beyond emergency food distribution to invest in long-term solutions: culinary job training, healthy school meals, community meals, and neighborhood partnerships through its Healthy Corners program. Its catering and café enterprises generate revenue while providing workforce opportunities, embodying the idea that food access and job creation are inseparable parts of community resilience.
Each honoree was nominated by HBCU students and alumni and confirmed by the I Love My HBCU? Council of Advisors, underscoring the organization’s commitment to centering student voices.
@media ( min-width: 300px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-2{min-height: 100px;}}@media ( min-width: 728px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-2{min-height: 90px;}}“This event is about celebrating Black leadership that refuses to be confined to labels—and about making sure no HBCU student is denied the chance to graduate because of a balance they can’t pay,” said Tosin Richard, founder ofI Love My HBCU. “We’re creating a movement of impact that goes beyond an acronym.”
Beyond recognition, the brunch reflects a vision for what Black leadership, community support, and student empowerment can look like in practice. Funds raised will directly support graduating HBCU seniors as they step confidently into their futures—debt-free.
The brunch will take place on Sunday, October 19, 2025, at 12 p.m. at the Frederick Douglass–Isaac Myers Maritime Park, located at 1417 Thames Street in Baltimore. Tickets and donation opportunities are available atEventbrite: (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/unpoliticized-blackness-a-brunch-tickets-1533823540499).
@media ( min-width: 300px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-3{min-height: 100px;}}@media ( min-width: 728px ){.newspack_global_ad.scaip-3{min-height: 90px;}}I Love My HBCU? is known for convenings like the GenerationNext Thought Leaders Summit and continues its mission through student debt relief, civic engagement, and leadership development. For Baltimore, this brunch is more than a fundraiser—it’s a call to action.
Follow @ILoveMyHBCU for updates.
Harold Booker Jr. is the founder and principal of DrewJenk Consulting, a boutique firm that specializes in project management, technology, and community engagement. He is also a frequent contributor to the Baltimore Times, writing about arts, culture, and social issues that connect personal history with community impact.
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