Honorees at the Gala are presented with either a “Candle” or “Bennie” award. “Candle” recipients receive honors for excellence in a variety of fields, including athletics, business, education, entertainment, government, law, military service, religion, and science and technology. “Bennie” recipients, who must be graduates of Morehouse, receive recognition in the areas of service, achievement and trailblazing. The award is named in honor of the late Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, who served as president of Morehouse from 1940 to 1967.

Also being honored at the 17th annual “A Candle in the Dark” Gala are: Candle in Education, Charles J. Ogletree, Jesse Climenko Professor of law and associate dean for the Clinical Programs, Harvard Law School; Candle in Business, Herman J. Russell, Sr., chairman, H.J. Russell & Company; Candle in Medicine, Charles J. McDonald, chair, Department of Dermatology Brown University Medical School; Bennie Achievement, James O. Webb (Morehouse class of 1953), founder and managing principal, Baker Eubanks, LLC; Bennie Trailblazer,Gerald Truesdale (Morehouse class of 1971), distinguished plastic and reconstructive surgeon; Bennie Leadership, Reginald E. Davis (Morehouse class of 1984), Northern Banking Group executive, Wachovia Bank; and Bennie Service, Richard O. Hope ’61, vice president, Public Policy and International Affairs Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Program.

Honorary co-chairs for the event are Karen and Michael D. Garrett, president and CEO, Georgia Power Company and Billye and Henry “Hank” Aaron, Major League Baseball Hall of Famer. Both Michael Garrett and Billye Aaron are members of the Morehouse College Board of Trustees. The Mistress of Ceremonies for the gala is Shaun Robinson, weekend anchor for “Access Hollywood.”

Please see below for the full schedule of events. All events will take place at the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel on the campus of Morehouse College, unless otherwise noted.