The District, Maryland and Virginia greater Washington area — often called the DMV — has long been a region where Black excellence has become expected and revered in multiple professions. On Saturday, April 5, audiences will celebrate the beauty and breadth of the Washington metropolitan area’s African American community when Portraits of Excellence (PORT), in conjunction with Thurgood Marshall Center Trust (TMCT), Inc., present the DMV Fine Arts Honor Awards. Honorees include Virginia Ali, co-founder of Ben’s Chili Bowl; Grammy-nominated gospel artist Anthony Brown; R&B artist and radio host Raheem DeVaughn; motivational life coaches Willie and Dee Jolley; Wanda Lockridge of the William O. Lockridge Community Foundation; Stan and Chereace Richards of the Richards Group) Lafayette Barnes and and Washington Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes; Joe Clair of FOX5 DMV Zone and 96.3 WHUR-FM; Gregory “Sugar Bear” Elliott of Experience Unlimited; community leader Barbara Jones community leader; composer and performer Rickey Payton; and Glenn Singleton, president of Courageous Conversations.
While the awards concept was first conceived in 2023 by PORT, a fine arts leadership training organization, this is the first year for the red-carpet youth scholarship fundraising event.“The PORT aims to nurture, celebrate, and empower youth and marginalized communities through fine arts education and creative wellness solutions,” PORT said in a statement. “Our vision invites youth to experience the immersive magic of art by celebrating untapped emerging talent, while providing alternatives to address depression, drugs, bullying and anger.”During the program, hosted by Dr. Justine Love, students from DC Prep, KIPP DC, the Urban Hip Hop Choir and Duke Ellington School of the Arts, will provide entertainment. The high schools they represent, as well as youth affiliated with the Lockridge Foundation, will be the beneficiaries of scholarships to support them as they pursue further training toward college or even professional careers in the arts. As the 12 leaders, teams or organizations from the DMV receive their awards, PORT will unveil the premiere release of its 2025 calendar, which highlights original portraits of the honorees by celebrity portrait artist Keith Tate.
Thurgood Marshall Center Trust, 1816 12th Street Northwest, is excited to host the awards recognizing community leaders. “With this being the inaugural event, we couldn’t be prouder to serve as the host venue,” said Stacy Palmer, executive assistant and community outreach coordinator, Thurgood Marshall Center for Service and Heritage. “But we’re equally excited about our lineup of events that we have planned now through June here at the TMCT.” Palmer, speaking on behalf of TMCT’s president and CEO, Thomasina Yearwood, emphasized that while they, like others, were forced them to shutter their doors and suspend all activities during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, they are now back in full force, anxious to welcome the community for fun and fellowship. “From a three-part lecture series on the Black Press, Women in Media, and our annual tribute to the Honorable Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, each to take place now through June,” Palmer said, “to Black Folkways: A Celebration of Food, Storytelling and Resilience, held in partnership with Georgetown and Howard universities on April 3, we have a lineup this spring that we believe is the best we’ve ever offered. Come see for yourselves.”For more information about the DMV Fine Arts Honor Awards, go to portexcellence.org. For additional information about TMCT and its lineup of programs and events, go to tmcsh.org.
Source: Washington Informer
