Award-winning actor Samuel Jackson returned to his alma mater Morehouse College for the 25th Annual “A Candle in the Dark” gala. Jackson, wearing a maroon-colored custom tuxedo (Morehouse’s official colors), was in the company of his Hollywood peers. Actor Dennis Haysbert served as the master of ceremonies; and actor, director and producer Laurence Fishburne received a coveted lifetime achievement “Candle Award” for his contributions to arts and entertainment.
Ingrid Saunders Jones, Coca-Cola Company’s senior vice president of Global Community Connections and chair of The Coca-Cola Foundation, offered greetings on the sponsor’s behalf. Also in attendance were Morehouse School of Medicine’s esteemed founder Dr. Louis Sullivan and Dr. David Satcher, former U.S. Surgeon General, were among a host of dignitaries and civic leaders. There were nearly 2,000 guests.
This year’s ceremony highlighted the institution’s ongoing commitment to recognize accomplishments of African American men who have distinguished themselves. A mentor to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (c/o ’48) and a president of Morehouse College for nearly three decades, the late Dr. Benjamin Mays’ spirit was felt throughout the ballroom at the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta.
