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With the Department of Education’s programming on the chopping block, the threat of schools teaching Black history losing federal funding, and the high cost of postsecondary education, this year’s “A Mind Is…” Gala at The Westin in Northwest D.C. emphasized the steadfast value of the 81-year-old organization.

Founded as the United Negro College foundation in 1944, UNCF stays true to its mission of supporting students attending historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

“Let me be clear: We are in a crisis moment in the history of our HBCUs. The challenges before us are great, and the forces working against access to education are relentless,” said , UNCF president. “But so, too, is our resolve.  We have been here before. We know what it means to weather the storm.  Just as we did in 2020, we will come back stronger, more prolific, and more united than ever.”

He told the crowd of attendees donning gowns and tuxedos that it will take a collaborative and intentional effort to overcome challenges.

“Make no mistake: This will not happen by chance,” Lomax said. “It will happen because we choose tonight, tomorrow, and each day after to show up for our students. We show up to prove that access to education is not dictated by wealth, but by will. That is what this moment demands of us.”

Throughout the evening, the organization honored HBCU students and alumni, including actor and philanthropist , founder and , Google’s vice president of Googler engagement. The event also celebrated legislators and business leaders who are supporting the work of UNCF, including U.S. Rep. Sanford D. Bishop Jr. (D-Ga.), U.S. Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Robert Kraft, chairman and CEO of and founder of . 

While Anderson has long been celebrated for his talents, he has also been focused on supporting young people and marginalized communities. 

”I have my own foundation called the Anderson Family Foundation, so for the past six years, I’ve been contributing to the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles just for what they do with kids. The Boys and Girls Club of America because I… came from that. The LA Mission, who helped with the homeless,” said Anderson when accepting the UNCF President’s Award. “But I realized after going back to school after 31 years and understanding what had happened, and why that happened the way that it did, I was like, ‘These kids need me.’ And they need people like me in their lives just like they need the United Negro College Fund.”

Now, after officially graduating from Howard University in 2022—a dream fulfilled after having to drop out three decades before because he could not afford tuition—he’s working to support students. 

“This year I’m transitioning from those charities that I normally give to and I’m starting a scholarship at Howard University,” said Anderson. 

When he graduated from Howard, the arts school he once knew as the College of Fine Arts had been renamed in honor of fellow alum, Chadwick A. Boseman, the late actor who is celebrated for roles such as the Black Panther in the Marvel series and James Brown in “Get On Up” (2014). He was inspired by Boseman’s road to graduation and success.

”It’s amazing to me because Chadwick A. Boseman didn’t have enough money to finish school, when he received this scholarship from Denzel Washington, that allowed him to finish his studies and we see what Chadwick A. Boseman would go on to do in his short time on earth,” Anderson said, considering Boseman’s death from colon cancer in 2020. “We need more people like that. We need more Denzels, we need more Dr. Lomaxes, we need more Chadwick A. Bosemans, and so I’m trying to be that for the next generation.”

‘Pinky’ Cole Hayes Offers Inspiration, Call to Action

When Cole Hayes accepted the Alumna of the Year award on March 6, she was beaming with pride, not just because of the major accomplishment. This honor served as a representation of what can come out of the combination of hard work, resilience and unwavering determination. 

Considering the title of the gala and UNCF’s motto: “A mind is a terrible thing to waste,” Cole Hayes, a graduate of , talked about her own mind, and what she’s had to overcome. She told the crowd she had just ended a four-day fast in order to center herself.

“Sometimes you don’t know if you’re coming or going and this fast really connected me to God in a different way. And the reason why I’m telling you this is because just like UNCF ‘A mind is a terrible thing to waste,’ I almost lost my mind,” Cole Hayes said, accepting her award. “But then I got to lean in and I remembered that I went to one of the most amazing institutions.”

As a successful entrepreneur, Cole Hayes, owner of Bar Vegan in Atlanta and Slutty Vegan restaurants throughout the U.S., including Georgia, New York, and Baltimore, Maryland, emphasized the need for supporting HBCUs and the work of UNCF.

“When UNCF talks about reaching in your wallet, and giving back and making sure that young Black folk get the opportunity to get higher education, it’s not just about the fact… we just want to dress up and look pretty and eat expensive food,” explained Cole Hayes, who is also founder of . “It’s about the fact that there is a domino effect that happens when you send somebody to school and they can graduate and join the private equity sector.”

She told the audience it’s particularly important to have more African American representation in private equity in order to make investments in young Black businesses like her.

“When there are people who look like us, the domino effect can continue to happen,” Cole Hayes said.

Sharing her own journey, Cole Hayes said the award from UNCF emphasized the importance of working hard, committing to one’s vision, and giving back to others.

“I’m excited to be on this stage as alumna of the year. Not just as a representation of all of this Black excellence. Not just as a representation of the illustrious Clark Atlanta University… But I’m here today because I want you to see the product of somebody who found a way to make one and came from humble beginnings,” she declared. “My father did 22 years in prison, I watched my mother work the same job for 37 years…and I still show up, and I still do the work and I still give back.”

After offering a call to action to give back to programs like UNCF, she also left the crowd with an important message.

“So if you didn’t learn anything from me tonight, even though I almost lost my mind, today I’m in heaven because I won the Alumna of the Year Award,” Cole Hayes said.