Alpha Phi Alpha chapter honors 10 local leaders at inaugural Riverside gala

The Phi Upsilon Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity honored 10 Inland Empire leaders at its first Golden Renaissance Scholarship Gala in Riverside. Proceeds from the sold-out event will support the chapter’s youth mentorship and college-readiness program.

Why it matters: - The gala raised funds for the Phi Upsilon Chapter’s Go-To-High-School, Go-To-College Program, which supports Black male youth with mentorship, scholarships, college-readiness help and educational resources. - The event also spotlighted educational and civic leaders whose work has shaped the Inland Empire and broader Southern California.

What happened: - The inaugural Golden Renaissance Scholarship Gala honored 10 local legends at the Grand Parisian Ballroom in the historic Mission Inn Hotel & Spa in Riverside. - Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.’s Phi Upsilon Chapter created and hosted the event. - More than 300 guests attended the sold-out gala. - Guests wore Harlem Renaissance-inspired attire, and the ballroom was staged as a Roaring Twenties scene.

The details: - The 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award winners were Dr. Judy White, Ed.D., retired Riverside County Superintendent of Schools; Emmett Terrell, retired Deputy Superintendent of Pomona Unified School District; and Dr. Norman Towels, retired Assistant Superintendent of Val Verde Unified School District. - The 2026 Public Servant of the Year Award winners were Vernon Jackson and Bishop Kelvin Simmons. - The 2026 Trailblazer of the Year Award winners were Dr. Theresa Price and Dr. Eric Bishop, Ed.D. - The 2026 Legacy of Impact Award winners were Marion Black, Jr. and Reggie Webb, both honored posthumously. - Charlotte, the wife of Marion Black, Jr., also received the Yellow Rose Award for service, leadership and dedication to uplifting others. - The evening included a three-course dinner, a Cotton Club-style show, a live jazz ensemble, tap dance performances and a vocal performance by recording artist Tamarra Hicks. - Dr. Antoine Hawkins, president of the California Association of African American Superintendents and Administrators and deputy executive superintendent of the Western Region of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, delivered the keynote. - Riverside Council member Sean Mill delivered a proclamation from the Office of the Mayor and City Council. - The proclamation called the gala a historic moment for Riverside and recognized the chapter’s effort to celebrate educational pioneers. - Dr. Anthony Blacksher delivered a spoken-word performance. - Inland Empire artist Maryam Trebeau created an original portrait of Eugene Kinkle Jones, one of the seven founders of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, during the event. - The finished portrait drew a standing ovation. - Hardy Brown II, former San Bernardino County School Board member and president of the Black Voice News Foundation, described the gala as one of the most extraordinary events to take place in the Inland Empire. - Attendees included Tony K. Thurmond, Dr. Cynthia Glover Woods, Wendy Lau, Felicia Alexander and Damon Alexander. - The gala was co-sponsored by the University of La Verne, 10th House Education Foundation, Alpha West Empowerment Foundation, Wine Now!, EmpowerU Edutainment, National College Resources Foundation, 100 Black Men of the Inland Empire, Dameron Communications, Black Voice News, The Kaiser Family Foundation, Charles Bibbs Art Studio, Southern California Gas Company, Hawkins Legal, P.C. and Pomona Unified School District.

Between the lines: - The gala mixed recognition, performance and pageantry to frame education as both a community achievement and a cultural legacy. - Chapter leaders cast the honorees as part of a multi-generation pipeline of mentorship, service and opportunity. - The event also served as a public show of civic support, with local officials, education leaders and regional organizations in attendance. - Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity’s motto, “First of All, Servants of All, We Shall Transcend All,” shaped the evening’s theme.

What's next: - Proceeds will go directly to the Phi Upsilon Chapter’s scholarship and mentorship program. - The chapter said the program is intended to increase access, persistence, graduation and long-term success for Black male youth. - The inaugural gala appears positioned as the start of an ongoing fundraising and recognition effort for the chapter and its educational mission.

The bottom line: - The Riverside gala celebrated local leadership while channeling money toward student support, linking legacy recognition with future educational opportunity.