2021 was a year like no other for students of TMCF member schools. The COVID-19 pandemic continued to challenge HBCU students.However, TMCF rose to the occasion and provided a virtual platform to amplify students’ aspirations. Over 50 virtual TMCF events hosted more than 3,400 students, emphasizing scholarships, professional development, immersions and boot camps, equity, and upskilling programs.

TMCF remained committed to upholding Justice Thurgood Marshall’s legacy and the vision of our founder, Dr. N. Joyce Payne by continuing to advance equity in a virtual world. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, TMCF persevered in its mission to create opportunities for underrepresented students, ensuring that their voices were heard and their dreams realized by launching the Dr. N. Joyce Payne Center for Social Justice.

TMCF established the Dr. N. Joyce Payne Center for Social Justice to advance social justice research and effect change by implementing policies and programs that foster racial equity nationwide. This initiative seeks to address systemic issues and create initiatives aimed at building a more just and equitable society in America.

TMCF is dedicated to fostering a strong connection between its work with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and their longstanding legacy of empowering the African-American community through education over the past 150 years. By establishing the Social Justice Center, TMCF aims to harness the innovative solutions and rich history of HBCUs, facilitating interdisciplinary research led by HBCU faculty and students collaborating with other esteemed organizations and community activists. This collaborative approach will offer valuable insights into the tangible impact of current policies at the grassroots level and utilize that knowledge to shape more effective policies and practices. Through the Dr. N. Joyce Payne Center for Social Justice, TMCF seeks to uphold shared values within the Black community while equipping the next generation of leaders and researchers to drive the cause of racial equity and social justice forward.

Thurgood Marshall College Fund develops equity initiatives for Fortune 500 companies; these multi-year partnerships have resulted in mutually beneficial outcomes for key stakeholders – HBCU students, HBCU institutions, and corporate partners. This proven success strategy has garnered scholarships and professional programming that aided in making college more affordable while creating pathways to economic mobility through access to lucrative careers. In 2021, TMCF continued to build synergy with corporate partners to assist in achieving its missions.

In 2021, TMCF organized programmatic events for the 2021 Boeing Scholars, which included the Boeing Freshman and Sophomore HBCU Immersions Virtual Event held from March 29 to April 2, 2021. The Boeing Virtual Boot Camp was held from May 3 to May 5, 2021. These events impacted over 70 Boeing scholars. These events impacted over 70 Boeing scholars.

The virtual immersion event involved a comprehensive three-day introduction to the company facilitated by Boeing leaders and the HBCU strategy team. The event aimed to increase students’ knowledge and awareness of Boeing’s products and services while exploring the possibilities for a future career in IT and engineering in the aerospace industry.

2021 was TMCF’s first programmatic year for Medtronic Foundation Scholarships and Medtronic Internship Program.

The Medtronic Foundation Scholarships Program awarded 50 students, 45 undergraduate, and 5 graduate students, with an average scholarship award of $8,500 in 2021. In addition to the scholarships, the recipients participated in virtual professional development events throughout the year. These events included the Medtronic Foundation | TMCF HBCU Leadership Reception held on July 28, 2021, and the Career Development program on October 6, 2021.

The Medtronic Talent Internship Program consisted of the TMCF Medtronic Intern Virtual Boot Camp, which took place from April 14 to 16, 2021. This program aimed to provide professional development opportunities for the first-ever Medtronic TMCF Intern class, who were about to start their summer 2021 internship with Medtronic. Throughout the three-day boot camp, the 41 interns underwent intensive corporate career training, which involved interacting with Medtronic Senior Leaders and immersing themselves in the company’s corporate culture through career-readiness simulations, professional development panels, and collaborative networking engagements.

Within the inaugural Intern class, 34% received a full-time internship offer for the 2021 summer in areas such as Engineering, Biomedical, Computer/Software, Electrical, Mechanical, Finance/Accounting, Information Systems & Information Technology, MBA Candidates, and Supply Chain Management. The internship was an 11-week, paid program held at a Medtronic site domestically.

The program has achieved remarkable outcomes; Tamika Mason from Cohort 1 was offered a prestigious C-suite position as the Chief of HR Innovation and Service Delivery for Baltimore County. In addition, Shanae Speller received significant recognition, including $8,000 for her capstone project, in-kind support from Hennessy, and an extra $5,000 in funding. Furthermore, all seven fellows from Cohort 2 successfully completed the program and secured employment offers.

TMCF recognizes that transitioning from college to career is a crucial point where education pays off. Therefore, expanding HBCU capacity in career preparation services will help more students gain placement in competitive and lucrative careers.

Leadership Institute is Thurgood Marshall College Fund’s award-winning national program that develops students’ leadership skills, creates a community of scholars, provides companies access to a talented and diverse student population, and helps students make connections that lead to careers. In its 21st year, the Leadership Institute’s theme was “Level Up,” which tied into TMCF’s larger mission to advance pathways toward economic mobility for HBCU students and intentionally diversify the future workforce within corporate America.

The virtual conference hosted 463 HBCU students and provided several organizations access to a talented and diverse student population while helping participants connect to Fortune 500 companies and top-tier organizations. Wells Fargo supported the Thurgood Marshall College Fund by sponsoring Leadership Institute for the ninth consecutive year.

TMCF’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E) programs are designed to equip the upcoming generation of diverse global innovators with the skills and mindset needed to revolutionize the world through technology solutions. I&E provides comprehensive entrepreneurship programs that take a holistic approach, combining creativity, technology, and business acumen, catering to students who aspire to become intrapreneurs and entrepreneurs. Through collaborations with corporate partners, I & E has three programs that provide valuable opportunities for students to showcase their ideas and talents: Innovation Challenges, Signature Programs, and The Pitch™.

Innovation Challenges are business case challenges partners provide, designed to identify future talent. Signature Programs are TMCF-led programs that showcase students’ strategic action plans to solve current industry challenges. The Pitch™ is a 5-day entrepreneurial training and pitch event.

The 2021 Pitch™ virtual event provided an opportunity for students to learn, engage in hands-on exercises, and develop the 3Core™ of an Entrepreneurial Mindset: Curiosity, Connections, and Creating Value. The event connected “techie” students interested in building mobile apps and developing technical skills with more “business-minded” students who were aspiring entrepreneurs. This unique environment provided a fertile ground for the growth and development of HBCU student startups.

During the 72-hour competition, HBCU students were tasked with developing solutions for business, social, or educational problems and pitching their ideas to expert judges composed of entrepreneurs, small business owners, executives, venture capitalists, and other investors. On the final day, students pitched their ideas at the Pitch & Win Competition before an expert panel. The event challenged and rewarded HBCU students, and the winners received funding and resources to help bring their ideas to life.

In collaboration with Ally Financial and the Sean Anderson Foundation, Thurgood Marshall College Fund’s (TMCF) Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E) signature program, Moguls in the Making, aimed to find the best and brightest entrepreneurial minds among Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Students were given an opportunity to showcase their business savvy by developing business plans focused on advancing economic mobility in Charlotte.

After pitching their ideas to a panel of judges from the business community, the top three winning teams’ members received scholarships, guaranteed paid internship offers at Ally, a laptop, and other prizes.

• Using technology to improve high school graduation rates.
• Helping people to get jobs in the skilled trades industry.
• Providing health care for the uninsured.

Ally executives were so impressed by the presentations that they awarded each student in the competition $1,000 scholarships.

Participating students worked with NBA executives to gain insights about differing international cultures and their impact on the NBA business culture. Although the virtual event was only one-and-a-half days long, the students developed insightful pitches for the NBA executives.

Members of the winning team received a merit-based scholarship and other prizes.

According to The Condition of Education 2020, while Black students account for 15 percent of all public school students in the U.S., Black teachers make up just 7 percent of the teacher workforce, and Black men make up less than 2 percent.

To address this disparity, Thurgood Marshall College Fund’s Teacher Quality and Retention Program (TQRP) provides high-caliber training and mentoring to aspiring, pre-service, and new teachers from publicly-supported HBCUs and PBIs across the country. The program has evolved from lessons learned through a 2006 Gates School Reform grant and the Teacher Prep Program Pilot in 2008 and has impacted over 600 Program Fellows over the last ten years across 20 states and 45 TMCF member-schools. TQRP Fellows have affected over 31,000 K-12 students in the nation’s high-need urban and rural areas.

In 2021, nearly 100 TQRP Fellows, including current students and alums from 26 HBCUs across 96 cities, participated in an intense, virtual 10-day professional development opportunity. During the event, fellows engaged in pedagogical and instructional practice sessions delivered by experienced faculty educators. Each Fellow participated in a tailored content track designed to connect to maximize cross-cohort collaboration strategically.

Black Male Fellows fostered rich dialogues about their experiences in the teaching profession and developed a network of peers to help them become Nationally Board Certified Teachers. Pre-Service males also participated in the STEM-focused Practicum. Pre-Service Fellows had the opportunity to participate in a Practicum where they received coaching and feedback as they walked through developing and teaching a lesson from start to finish. New Teacher Fellows created content, provided professional development to peers, and learned how to prepare their practice to become nationally Board Certified Teachers.

As a result of the program, four Fellows won the Teacher of the Year Award at their schools, with three of the four recipients being African American males.

As Thurgood Marshall College Fund continues to build equity with our key stakeholders, HBCU students, HBCU institutions, and corporate partners, our Government Relations team develops transformational government initiatives to ensure sustainability for all HBCUs.

The #RISE HC2K20 concert included a Unity Step Performance, Alumni & Student Highlights, a Congressional Message, HBCU YardRoll Call & Halftime show. During the event, TMCF announced the Inaugural Top 20 “Partners in Diversity,” recognizing 20 rising stars who advocate for and provide meaningful professional and leadership development for HBCU talent. Along with impressive performances and words of encouragement from top celebrity talent, the event provided a platform to highlight the importance of HBCUs and diversity in the professional world.

Thurgood Marshall College Fund expanded its commitment to HBCU students and the 47 member-schools by increasing scholarship investments and providing capacity-building support.

TMCF Scholarships

TMCF scholarships are specifically designed to meet the financial needs of students enrolled in HBCUs. These awards are granted to outstanding and eligible students pursuing degrees at accredited HBCUs. In 2021, the scholarships program experienced significant growth, with a total of $13.22 million awarded in scholarships; this represents an impressive 150% increase compared to the previous year. TMCF Scholarships have made remarkable strides in empowering and supporting HBCU students.

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