It is not accidental that references to Black schools of education are preceded with the word “historical.” The states in our nation where these schools, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, are located did not provide funding for HBCUs because they were required to state in their charters that they would operate as private schools.
Few people know that they were required so to do, thus relieving the states from providing financial support. Most, if not all, of these states established one school for Blacks, and provided separate yet unequal support. Virginia State University, where my younger sister graduated, was that school in Virginia. I did not have the finances to go there.
Yet, I was fortunate to have been able to attend one of those schools, the so-called “private” university, Virginia Union University. I owe the better part of ny successful endeavors and results therefrom to that opportunity.
There are still attempts to eliminate the teaching of this history of discrimination and its effects on all levels of society.
It is among the reasons that I chose to celebrate my 93rd birthday in the nation’s capital, raising funds for the National Ovation Scholarship, to contribute to our HBCU students so they could continue their educational efforts.
For that reason, I have chosen to celebrate my 95th birthday with Brushstrokes, an art exhibit and auction, on Sunday, January 18, 2026. The celebration will take place from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia, located at 122 West Leigh Street in Richmond.
Ticket and sponsorship information can be found here.
I am proud to have been a founding member of this museum and to have provided the legal services relative to its being chartered by the State Corporation Commission. This celebration, therefore, is both personal and purposeful.
Brushstrokes, hosted by the Wilder School in partnership with the Wilder Collection at Virginia Union University, is a presentation of my expressions in watercolor, a few tinged with acrylic, and pencil. The exhibit will include works from my private collection, as well as original paintings created for this occasion. The event will feature an auction of select original works, all of which I painted. Sponsors and friends will have an opportunity to meet the inaugural 2025 scholarship recipients, tour the museum, and celebrate with me while supporting the continuation of this work.
My interest in art began at an early age and was practiced at home and in elementary school. Though there was no art teacher, we competed with each other as cartoonists, sketchers, and sign painters. One of my good friends, with whom I competed, was the celebrated artist Ben Wigfall, whose works are on display at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
The proceeds from the event, and auction of selected pieces, will benefit HBCU students who attend the Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs. This is not simply a birthday celebration; it is a continuation of a lifelong commitment.
Stay tuned.
