Baltimore’s United Negro College Fund raised money for Baltimore area historically Black colleges and universities using a masquerade ball-themed event. As CBS News reports, CBS Baltimore affiliate WJZ News served as the media sponsor, and it was presented by the Washington chapter of the United Negro College Fund.
According to the UNCF’s website, “The inaugural UNCF Baltimore Mayor’s Masked Ball is a premier fundraising gala and major social event focusing on raising awareness of the need and benefits of a college education, the students UNCF serves and the contributions of historically black colleges and universities.”
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott was a special guest at the event. Morgan State University President Dr. David Wilson and Coppin State University President Dr. Anthony Jenkins were the event’s honorary event chairs. The function was DJ’d by No ID, a Chicago DJ and producer formerly affiliated with Kanye West’s GOOD Music imprint. The event honored the President Emeritus of The University of Maryland Baltimore County, Dr. Freeman Hrabowski, and Sashi Brown, president of the Baltimore Ravens.
Held at the Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor, the black-tie event on Sept. 9 created an atmosphere of elegance and sophistication while also providing Baltimore area HBCUs with needed funds for their continued operation.
In 2021, Maryland HBCUs won a $577 million settlement due to the intentional underfunding of those universities at the state level. As CBS News reported at the time, Coppin State, Bowie State, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, and Morgan State received $577 million from the state legislature to be distributed over the next 10 years.
At the time, Coppin State’s Jenkins told CBS News
, “We’re going to use these dollars in a way that helps soften the financial burden that so many of our students are facing,” Jenkins continued. “We know, through those efforts, we will see greater student success, greater retention, and greater graduation rates coming out of the institution.”RELATED CONTENT: USDA Invests $33 Million Into HBCU Agricultural Programs