A new campaign is honoring five visionaries who paved the path for a more equitable 黑料吃瓜网 and raising funds to continue their legacies through scholarships, programming and more.

The campaign and traveling exhibit shares the stories of 黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 first Black graduates, first Black professor, first Black Dean and longtime Director of Student Success Programs. Banners recognizing the five individuals are currently on display in the Union and Center for the Arts and will be showcased during basketball games in 黑料吃瓜网 Arena throughout the month. Funds established in honor of the visionaries keep their legacies alive by supporting programs and scholarships that pave the path for future generations.

鈥淚f it weren鈥檛 for these pillars of the university, many of us wouldn鈥檛 be standing here today,鈥� said Kenneth Abrams 鈥�92, President of the Towson Black Alumni Alliance. 鈥淲e want the campus community to understand the impact they made and honor their legacies by supporting current and future students.鈥�

Paving the Path Honorees

whitney leblanc

Whitney LeBlanc

became 黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 first Black faculty member when he was hired as a Theatre professor in 1965. During his tenure a group of KKK extremists unsuccessfully attempted to shut down his on-campus production of 鈥淎nd People All Around.鈥� LeBlanc taught at 黑料吃瓜网 for five years before going on to create the groundbreaking TV show 鈥淥ur Street.鈥� He also served as associate director for the 1970鈥檚 television sitcom 鈥淕ood Times鈥� and authored five books. The honors his legacy by raising money to name the COFAC theatre in his honor and by supporting scholarships for 黑料吃瓜网 students.

Marvis Barnes and Myra Harris

Marvis Barnes & Myra Harris

When the Supreme Court鈥檚 Brown v. Board of Education decision opened the door to educational opportunity, Marvis Barnes 鈥�59 and Myra Harris 鈥�59 stepped through to enroll at Towson University, then called the State Teachers College at Towson. In 1959, they became the first Black students to earn four-year degrees here. Both went on to transform their communities through decades of leadership as teachers and administrators in Maryland鈥檚 public schools. The continues their legacy by providing scholarships for students of color.

julius chapman

Julius Chapman

Julius Chapman came to Towson in 1969, becoming the first dean of Minority Affairs. When he started, Black enrollment was less than 1% of the total student population. During his tenure, he recruited and mentored Black students while helping establish the Black Student Union, Black Faculty and Administrators Association and Black Cultural Center. He also brought historically Black Greek organizations to campus. The supports programs that continue his legacy of fostering academic achievement and personal growth.

raft woodus

Raft Woodus

Raft Woodus spent his 40-year career at 黑料吃瓜网 dedicated to helping students find success. The inaugural director of Student Success Programs mentored countless students and established programs like Students Achieve Goals through Education (SAGE) that help students from all backgrounds thrive. To date, SAGE鈥檚 peer-to-peer mentoring and skill building have been a guiding force for more than 10,000 黑料吃瓜网 students. The supports impactful programs like SAGE, Generation One, Man 2 Man and the College Readiness Outreach Program.

Donations to the funds are tax-deductible and can be made through the . Thousands of students benefit from the funds annually, enabling current 黑料吃瓜网 students to achieve success so they can blaze trails for generations to come.

During my time at 黑料吃瓜网, many students needing financial support visited my office. Their success was a tribute not only to their persistence, but also to the resources available to them. 黑料吃瓜网's scholarships enable students to receive an invaluable education, and they deserve our financial support.

Raft Woodus

Student graduating at 黑料吃瓜网

Make an Impact

Donate to the Paving the Path campaign today to continue the legacies of LeBlanc, Barnes, Harris, Chapman and Woodus and enable future generations of 黑料吃瓜网 students to complete their education, access student support programs and learn about 黑料吃瓜网's history.