23rd Annual MLK Drum Majors Awards and Celebration

Boaz & Ruth, Fifth Street Baptist Church, and Urban Financial Services Coalition welcome you to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Our keynote speaker is global social entrepreneur Dr. Yewande Austin, who has been recognized with a President Barack Obama Lifetime Achievement Award and nominated for the CNN Hero Award. Performers this year include Desirée Roots and Arthur Roots who will do a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King in song and prose accompanied by Michelle Lightfoot. The evening will also include inspirational music, dance and spoken word selections by vocalist William Carter, poet Moe Flowz (Maurice Brown), the God is ABLE Praise Dance Team, and handbell ringer Glenda Jackson Eaddy.

Host and Mistress of Ceremonies are Ditu Kasuyi & Adrienne P. Whitaker. Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated-Xi Delta Lambda Chapter will lead us in our closing symbolic Unity March for Freedom. Serving as our hostesses again this year will be the James River Valley (VA) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated. This year's event is presented in partnership with LUX Church and St. Elizabeth Catholic Church.
We will celebrate the accomplishments of the leaders and organizations that receive this year’s MLK Drum Major Awards. Honorees are recognized for making a difference in the lives of others.

2024 Honorees to be announced

“Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter” - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Agenda

1:30 - Doors Open

2:45 - 3:00 - Meditation Moment

3:00 - 4::30 - Program Begins

4:30 - 4:40- Symbolic Candlelight Unity March for Freedom

4:45 - 6:30 - Reception/Dinner

The program will be in-person and will also be broadcast live at https://www.fifthstreetbaptist.org as well as shared on various social medial networks.

MLK RVA Creative Collaboration Team: Ditu Kasuyi, Megan Rollins, Dana Lintz, Dr. Derrick Peterson, Craig Watson, and Adrienne Whitaker

Supporters and Sponsors: Eventfull-Richmond (eventfullrva.com), LUX Church, L2L Leadership Institute, and Max Williams Photography

Robert is the Principal Coach/Consultant for Jordan/Sydnor Innovation Group, where he does consulting and leadership coaching business for individuals and organizations where he served local, national and international clients.

He has also served as president/executive director for four Richmond-based nonprofits. He was Vice President of Programs & Innovation at the Robins Foundation, He was the president/CEO of U-Turn Sports Performance Academy and served as the director of community relations for Richmond Region 2007, a marketing and economic development nonprofit. He was the Executive Producer of the African American Trailblazers documentary and educational series that broadcast nationally on PBS stations. Robert co-founded the Ujima Legacy Fund, a giving circle designed to promote philanthropy among men of color and to provide funding support for nonprofits that serve youth through innovative education initiatives. For 10 years, he was the Senior Pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in Chesterfield County, Virginia.He was the president/CEO of U-Turn Sports Performance Academy and served as the director of community relations for Richmond Region 2007, a marketing and economic development nonprofit. He was the Executive Producer of the African American Trailblazers documentary and educational series that broadcast nationally on PBS stations. Robert co-founded the Ujima Legacy Fund, a giving circle designed to promote philanthropy among men of color and to provide funding support for nonprofits that serve youth through innovative education initiatives. For 10 years, he was the Senior Pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in Chesterfield County, Virginia.

Robert is a graduate of James Madison University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in business management and a magna cum laude graduate of the Samuel D. Proctor School of Theology, Virginia Union University, with a Master of Divinity degree, He received his leadership coaching certification from Georgetown University.

Desiree Roots has been one of this region’s most favorite performers for over 30 years with her “triple-threat” talent of acting, singing and dancing. She made her stage debut at age 13 as Dorothy in The Haymarket Theatre’s production of “The Wiz”. She has since appeared in over 30 stage productions and continues to showcase her talent in theatres throughout the Commonwealth and the region. Her credits include “Mame” (Vera Charles); “The Color Purple” (Sophia); “Man of La Mancha” (Aldonza); “Once On This Island” (TiMoune). Today, she also serves as the co-artistic director for Virginia Repertory Theatre. Desirée is a proud graduate of Virginia Union University. Desirée wrote a two person play to honor the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington, which she and her brother Art will showcase at our program accompanied by pianist Michelle Lightfoot.

Talent is in the Roots blood. Arthur "Art" Roots is Desirée's very talented brother. He is a gospel vocalist and orator. He arguably gives the best re-enactments of Dr. King and delivery of his speeches. Art is also a minister at the historic First African Baptist Church.

Dr. Frank Branch is the senior pastor Riverview Baptist Church with a personal passion for music. His desire to delve into the realm of music not only as a listener but as musician began for Frank in his early years at the age of 10 when he was introduced to the trombone by a relative. He was soon convinced by a family friend to switch to the saxophone to bring some diversity to the family musically. He began his formal music training in the Norfolk, VA public school system and his appreciation of not only the saxophone but classical music grew under the tutelage of Elston S. Fitzgerald. During this time, he made the All-city band 1st chair alto sax and voluntarily offered his 1st chair alto chair to play baritone sax in that same band the next year. He furthered his musical studies at Norfolk State University where, although he majored in and received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Electronic Technology, he managed to study saxophone with Emery L. Fears, Philippe Fears, Eddie Williams and Selmer clinician Alberto Asercion. During this time Frank also began to learn the guitar and piano.

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After graduating from Norfolk State, Frank answered his call to ministry. Further grounding his musical and spiritual formation, he graduated from Virginia Union University’s Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology with a Masters of Divinity (cum laude), a Master’s of Theology from Union Theological Seminary with a focus in Systematic Theology, and Doctoral work at Wesley Theological Seminary with a focus in Spirituality and Community Transformation.

Frank’s call and desire is to utilize his musical and homiletical gifts as a conduit for sharing God’s message to all he encounters. This is exemplified in Mt. Sinai Temple, the church where he currently serves as Sr. Pastor in Baltimore County Maryland. Here he plays soprano, alto, tenor saxophones, as well as the EWI. He also plays with various Big Band jazz bands and Gospel Jazz groups in the Baltimore/Washington area. Frank has furthered his music studies in studying with Eddie Baccus, Jr. and Dr. Clarence Knight.

” The Silverstein Cryo4 ligature is just amazing! I use them on all of my horns. It provides a bigger, rounder, and clearer sound with my mouthpieces. The extremes of the horn speak better and bolder now.”

Adrienne returns again this year to lead our program as the Mistress of Ceremonies. With over 15 years experience in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the private, public, and non-profit sectors, As a sought-after facilitator, speaker, and change-change agent, Adrienne challenges people to celebrate what makes them different and use it as their superpower to make a difference in the world. She has served as a Senior Vice President of SunTrust Bank (Truist), Vice President at Virginia State University, Vice President at Virginia Home for Boys and Girls, and Business Development Director at SOAR365.
Today, she is the Director of DEI at Virginia Housing. Adrienne serves on serveral boards including Homeward, C&F Bank Advisory Board and City of Richmond Office of Minority Business Development Advisory Board. She is the national President of the Urban Financial Services Foundation and is the co-founder of L2L Leadership Institute. She is a graduate of William & Mary and completed her post graduate studies at Boston University and University of Richmond. She obtained her DEI certification from Cornell University and is a graduate of Leadership Metro Richmond and the Sorensen Institute at University of Virginia.

Ditu Kasuyi is the President and CEO of Kasuyi and Associates, LLC, a leadership coaching firm in Richmond, Virginia. The company specializes in educating, motivating, and empowering professionals to elevate their leadership skills to reach their goals faster. By increasing their ability to focus on the behaviors that produce extraordinary results, his clients solve complex problems more effectively, leading to improved performance and higher revenues. Ditu’s personal goal is to change the world by developing 1000 leaders. Ditu has served in leadership roles in both the public and private sector and is currently a division Chief for a federal agency and co-founder of the L2L Leadership Institute. Ditu is a National President Emeritus of Urban Financial Services Coalition and serves on the organizations executive board. He is a graduate of St Paul's College and obtained his MBA from Averette University.

Megan returns again this year to close out our program and inspire us to be the change we want to see in the world. In the spirit of Dr. King, Megan is a true servant leader. Megan is the President and CEO of Boaz & Ruth. She brings over 10 years of hands-on experience in volunteer management, event planning, and operations. She gained nonprofit experience at Boaz & Ruth as a volunteer, volunteer coordinator, AmeriCorps Director and Chief Operations Officer prior to taking on the responsibilities of President and CEO.

A graduate of Mary Baldwin College, Megan and holds a Certificate in Nonprofit Management and a Master’s in Public Administration from VCU. She is a 2015 graduate of Leadership Metro Richmond, received the 2012 Stettinius Award for Nonprofit Leadership and was named the Greater Richmond Volunteer Administrator of the Year for 2011. She is a graduate of the Emerging Nonprofit Leadership Program and Richmond Christian Leadership Initiative

We are excited to have Craig join us again in his leadership role and to do a spoke word preformwnce. Not only is Craig responsible for the daily operations of Fifth Street Baptist Church, he is also a creative genius as a writer and spoken word artist. Thanks to his vision, our program has become a showcase for spoken word expression, broadening our reach to a younger generation.
In 2003, Craig formed Lyric Ave: a poetry-based variety show that showcases performances from comedians, actors, musicians, and dancers. “We started out in underground nightclubs in Shockoe Bottom and then grew into playing theaters all over the country and they are about to begin our 19th season as a group!”

Collectively, the dancers of Brown Ballerinas for Change, whether their dance journey began at the age of three or eight, have found a passion for dance and have become change makers and influencers around the world. They became the face and voice of youth activist involved in the Black Lives Matter movement. In the midst of a pandemic they were able to form and incorporate Brown Ballerinas for Change as a 501 (c)3 nonprofit organization and use their gift of ballet/dance to promote activism, social justice, and to increase diversity in dance. They’ve found a peaceful way to get involved using dance as an act of protest and to show other young people that they too could get involved in the fight for justice. Since our founding, we have been able to provide several scholarship opportunities for BIPOC dancers who would not otherwise be able to afford dance classes. We felt that representation and accessibility were very important as well. Not only have we performed around RVA in support of the BLM movement, but we’ve also worked with several artists to offer original prints and artwork to raise money as well. We are members of the Henrico chapter NAACP Youth Council and performed for numerous local organizations such as Art of Me, Justice and Reformation for Marcus-David Peters, and participated in countless rallies and marches. We also were selected to be featured in the international Girl Rising Storytelling contest where we were honored as finalists. We were one of the only finalists from the United States to receive the honor alongside other young people who have inspired change around the world. The BBFC presented at the VPOST virtual conference on how to promote youth activism in after school/out of school programs, and have been invited to speak at others in 2021. We have impacted millions of people around the world using our gifts to promote change. We have been able to show the power of peaceful protests by combining pointe and advocacy. We believe in equality, diversity, and inclusion for all and empowering girls to be change makers.

The James River Valley Chapter of the Links, Incorporated was chartered in 1983. The chapter’s 40-year history is rich with activities devoted to serving the Richmond Community. Following the programmatic thrusts of the national organization, the chapter has impacted on education (higher and K-12), health care, voter education, elder well-being, advocacy on behalf of victims of abuse, and promoting youth in the arts. Most recently the chapter has channeled much of its integrated program efforts to STEM and Black Lives Matter. Our signature service programs include:the area’s first Links-NSBE Jr. chapter, an endowment at Virginia Union University, voter education workshops and registration drives, Be the Match bone marrow drives, diabetes prevention seminars, programs and support to Haiti and Jamaica, music education workshops for students, and financial support to artistically gifted students.

Xi Delta Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. was chartered on March 5, 1982 in Henrico County, Virginia. Over the past 40 years Xi Delta Lambda has been involved with many programs in the Richmond community. We strive to excel with all we do and look forward to having productive endeavors within the years to come. Xi Delta Lambda has positioned itself to be leader amongst leaders in a time in history where the aims our Fraternity are of the utmost importance. "Manly Deeds, Scholarship, and Love for All Mankind" are not only the aims of our Fraternity, but are the substance of which Xi Delta Lambda operates in an effort to improve our community, our nation and our world.

​Xi Delta Lambda has been deeply involved in the educational, health, and political fabric of the community. The chapter has sponsored Career Awareness Programs in the public schools, health fairs, March on Henrico County, March on Washington (1983), Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Learning Week sponsor, voter registration, sponsor students to Eastern Regional Leadership Workshop, Project Alpha, and our Weldon H. Smith scholarship golf tournament.
Xi Delta Lambda has been a mainstay in the Virginia Association of Chapters of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. (VACAPAF) since the chapter was chartered. Chapter brothers, elected or appointed, have served as area director, president, first vice president, financial, corresponding, and recording secretary, director of college affairs, and director of conventions. Xi Delta Lambda has maintained a visible presence on the regional level where chapter brothers have served as area director, area coordinator, risk management coordinator, district director, regional convention chairman, and regional treasurer.

Over the past 22 years, MLK RVA has had the regions most dynamic speakers at the annual MLK Drum Majors Awards and Celebration, including:

• Bert Ashe, author, professor, and international speaker on race and culture
• Claire Guthrie Gastañaga, first woman Deputy Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Virginia and Executive Drector of ACLU - Virgininis
• Tim Kaine, U.S. Senator and former Virginis Governor
• Ryan Mack, CNN contributor, author, and social entrepreneur
• Jennifer McClellan, U.S. Congresswoman and former Virginia Delegate and State Senator
• Bruce Miller, founder of Virginia Repertory Theatre and playwrite
• Manny Peña, lead pastor of LUX Church
• Micah Bam-Bamm White, actor, comedian, and Vice President of the MBL

Host or Publisher MLK RVA & L2L Leadership Institute