Bryan-Michael Cox To Receive The Trailblazer Award At Fifth Annual HBCU Week Awards Gala

Black excellence will shine during the fifth annual HBCU Week Awards Gala presented by Bank of America this Friday, June 28.

The sold-out fundraiser will be held at the HOTEL DUPONT in Wilmington, Delaware. With a mission to provide scholarship dollars for students enrolling in HBCUs, the benefit of the event has been to continue the diversification of talent within the educational pipeline from college to corporate America and to decrease student debt.

“I am always amazed and energized by the support for our annual HBCU Week Gala, and this year is no exception,” Founder and CEO of the HBCU Week Foundation Ashley Christopher, Esq., stated. The “power of an HBCU education can change lives while creating unlimited access to opportunities for the next generation of students," Christopher added.

An evening that will include supporters from corporate America, academia, non-profits, and many other organizations will feature a black-tie gala filled with individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to the growth of The HBCU Week Foundation’s mission. The 2024 honorees include Tiffany Cross, who will receive the Social Impact Award, and Bryan-Michael Cox, who will receive the Trailblazer Award.

"We are proud to support these institutions and the HBCU Week Foundation’s important role in creating these pathways to higher education,” Chip Rossi, the Delaware President of Bank of America, shared about the lasting support given to the event. “An HBCU education is such an important driver of social and economic mobility," Rossi added.

Additional gala partners, such as AstraZeneca, another longtime supporter, will be in attendance with a plethora of knowledge and expertise in the STEM and supply chain fields.

“HBCUs have proven to be a continued invaluable source of talent across our organization,” stated Lorna Smith, Head of External Operations API and Drug Substance at AstraZeneca. With over 101 accredited HBCUs nationwide, the HBCU Week Foundation has awarded over 8,000 on-the-spot college acceptances in total, along with $93 million in scholarships directly from HBCUs and countless corporate sponsors.

Those numbers alone are the epitome of not only Black excellence but also represent the standard that The HBCU Week Foundation, Inc. has created with the HBCU Week Awards Gala’s success.

To support the HBCU Week Foundation, Inc. and its ongoing initiatives, secure donations can be made on their website.