Philanthropic Donations from Pistons Owner Tom Gores, Pistons Vice Chairman Arn Tellem and the Detroit Pistons Foundation to Fund Scholarship Opportunities for Detroit High School Competitors
Pistons Legend Rick Mahorn and the Detroit Pistons Foundation will host the 13th annual Black History Month event and scholarship competition on Thursday, Feb. 8 at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA). The festivities begin with 40 students from each competing school taking part in a museum scavenger hunt tour of the DIA galleries starting at 11 a.m., followed by the scholarship competition at 2 p.m.
The event offers high school seniors from Detroit the opportunity to compete for a combined total of $55,000 in college scholarships funded by Pistons Owner Tom Gores, Pistons Vice Chairman Arn Tellem, the Detroit Pistons Foundation and EMAGINE Entertainment.
Each student will present an original interpretation of this year’s theme — “Equality: What does that mean to you?.” Through a chosen artistic medium of their choice (speech, poem, dance, rap, etc.), competitors will share what equality means to them both through personal experiences as well as past and current affairs.
The nine high school seniors from Detroit Loyola, University Prep, Cass Tech, Detroit School of Arts, Jalen Rose Leadership Academy, Cornerstone Leadership and Business, Renaissance and Detroit International Academy for Young Women will be competing for the Earl Lloyd Scholarship Award – a $25,000 grand prize scholarship from the Detroit Pistons Foundation. The Detroit Pistons Foundation will also award the second place winner a $15,000 scholarship and the third place winner a $10,000 scholarship, while fourth place will receive a $5,000 scholarship on behalf of EMAGINE Entertainment.
WHO: Competitors: Judges:
Kyle McBeth – Loyola Rick Mahorn – Pistons Legend/Host
Kenneth Ducan – University Prep Dave Bing – Pistons Legend/Former Mayor of Detroit
Diop Russell – Cass Tech Earl Cureton – Pistons Legend
A’kiyah King – Detroit Collegiate Prep Stanley Johnson – Pistons forward
Joslyn Tatum – Detroit School of Arts Reggie Bullock – Pistons guard
Briy’ Johnson – Jalen Rose Leadership Academy Mary Sheffield – City of Detroit Councilwoman
Charity Turnboe – Cornerstone Leadership & Business Ty Mopkins – Mr. Alan’s Brand Ambassador
Imani Harris – Renaissance Lucy Mensah – Assistant Curator-Contemporary Art, DIA
Stephanie Marshall – Detroit Intl. Acad. for Young Women Awenate Cobbina – Executive Director, Pistons Foundation
Rhonda Walker – WDIV TV anchor
Josh Landon – FOX 2 TV reporter
Cathy Nedd – Associate Publisher & COO, Michigan Chronicle
WHEN: Thursday, February 8 from 2-3 p.m.
WHERE: Detroit Institute of Arts, 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit, MI 48202
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