Emmy winner, Dr. Bill Cosby hosted the TMCF 25th awards Gala on Nov. 11, 2013 with 1400 guests (including 500 students), alongside Redskins Alfred Morris, MC Lyte, and Jennifer Holiday opening with her Grammy Award-winning hit song,” And I Am Telling You I Am Not Going.” TMCF’s Board Chairman Jim Clifton and his wife Susan announced they were donating $1 million dollars to the organization.
Johnny C. Taylor Jr., TMCF President and CEO highlighted, “Our scholars are living proof of why higher education is such a good investment.” The gala featured multicultural- line up: Miss America 2014, Nina Davuluri, who embodies the spirit of many Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in showcasing and celebrating diversity through cultural competency encouraged students to ‘dream big’ and stay true to themselves. Honorees of the year included Janice Bryant Howroyd, Larry Waters, Dr. Wayne D. Watson, Ph.D. and Johnson & Johnson. Throughout the night, Congressman John Lewis (GA-5) held a VIP book signing for “March Book One.” General Dennis L. Via, Lt. General Arthur J. Gregg (Ret.) and several Congressmen also joined the fundraiser.
Other VIP guests included Senator Michael Brown (DC), Former Editor-in-Chief Essence Magazine: Susan Taylor, HBO’s Jermaine Crawford, Saxophonist Ski Johnson, Fox News Kelly Wright and Juan Williams, Grammy and Golden Globe WinnerJerry “Wonda”, Duplessis, Real Housewives of Atlanta, Dwight Eubanks, and Calvin Klein’s first African-American fit model,Stephanie Duncan.
Gallup, the polling company, was the presenting sponsor of the gala. Other sponsors and supporters included Millers Coors, the Charmer Sunbelt Group, Costco, Wal-Mart, Altria, Wells Fargo, the NBA, The Hill, Moet Hennessy, News Channel 8 and the Hershey Company.
