This video titled, "Black Excellence Award Banquet: Making the Grade" was held in Alumni Gym on April 28, 2012. Leon Williams stated in a 2013 email to faculty/staff, "Since the inception of the Black Excellence Awards Banquet in 1993, Elon students, parents, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of the community have gathered annually to celebrate the academic success of black students enrolled full-time in the undergraduate program at Elon University. The banquet was officially named the Phillips-Perry Black Excellence Awards Banquet in 2006 in honor of Elon"s first black student in 1963, Glenda Phillips, and the first black graduate, Eugene Perry in 1969. The mission of the Black Excellence Awards Banquet is to recognize, celebrate, and affirm the presence of black students at Elon University. The Multicultural Center remains committed to this mission by helping students become active participants in their personal growth and in the achievement of their educational objectives." The 2012, video recording of the "Black Excellence Awards Banquet: Making the Grade" program included: the "Welcome" Leon Williams, Director of Multicultural Affairs (not on the video file); the Opening Remarks by Leo M. Lambert, President, Elon University. Lambert"s remarks included: praising Dr. Donna Oliver (Class of 1972) for her excellence in education and leadership; disappointing that Glenda Phillips could not attend this ceremony tonight and wanting to acknowledge the presence of Eugene Perry; Phillips and Perry blazed the trails at Elon; Elon had not had its first Rhodes Scholar (named for the British mining magnate and South African politician Cecil John Rhodes, is an international postgraduate award for non-British students to study at the University of Oxford); and the Marshall Scholar (this scholarship was created by the Parliament of the United Kingdom when the Marshall Aid Commemoration Act was passed in 1953, serving as a living gift to the United States of America in recognition of the post-World War II European Recovery Plan, commonly known as the Marshall Plan, and inspired by the Rhodes Scholarship ). It is Lambert"s wish that one of the students attending the Phillips-Perry Black Excellence Awards Banquet will have the opportunity for one of these scholarships. Lambert"s remarks continued: thanked family members for providing support and encouragement for Elon students; one of Lambert"s key ingredients for success is presence; and he honored the students for their passion for learning. T. Leon Williams invites Dr. Cherrel Miller-Dyce, Assistant Professor Education to provide the Invocation. The Introduction of the Keynote Speaker was given by Cedric Pulliam, Student Program Coordinator. Dr. Donna Oliver (Class of 1972) gave the keynote address. Dr. Oliver began her college studies at Elon College where she completed her undergraduate degree in biology and education. After teaching five years at the high school level, she earned a Master of Education degree in Biology and Curriculum and Instruction from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. After being named the North Carolina Teacher of the Year, she earned a Master of Science degree in Education Administration with licensure as a K-12 principal from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University. She earned a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Teaching with a concentration in Multicultural Education at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. In 2004 as a Bush Scholar, she completed the Higher Education Institute for educational Management Certification at Harvard University. Dr. Donna H. Oliver is the sixth president and first African-female to lead a Mississippi public university. Dr. Oliver also serves as president of the Mississippi Association of Colleges and Universities, the vice-chairman of the Mississippi Delta Health Alliance Board of Directors, ex-officio vice chairman of the Education and Health Policy Committee of the Delta Council, and is also a member of the Blueprint Mississippi 2011Project Council. Recently, Oliver was featured on the cover of Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, a nationally distributed magazine in higher education. She is also featured in the inaugural 2010 edition of Who"s Who in Black Mississippi as one of the state"s most influential leaders. In 2009, she launched "The Valley Renaissance," the Mississippi Valley State five-year strategic plan that focused on building the strengths of the past and advancing forward with purpose from a promising future of distinction, uniqueness, and longevity. Dr. Oliver made history in 1987 by becoming the first African-American to receive the Distinguished Young Alumnus of the Year Award at Elon College, now Elon University. During that same year, she was recognized by Howard University in Washington, D.C., as an outstanding African-American Woman of Achievement, and was named by President Ronald Reagan to the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars, and the White House Commission for a Drug Free America. Dr. Oliver and her husband, James C. Oliver, have one daughter, Rachel Oliver-Cobbin, the 1987 Miss Black America and R&B recording artist with Atlantic Starr; son-in-law, Keith James Cobbin, who is a financial and estate planner; grandson, Cameron James Oliver-Cobbin; and granddaughter, Raina Lael Oliver-Cobbin. Oliver"s remarks included: seek self-awareness; learn new skills; learn something new each day; and charged the Elon students to be of service to others. The Dance Performance titled, "The Journey" (an African traditional dance) Choreographed by Jason Aryeh, Assistant Professor, Performing Arts. The dance was performed by Jason and four students. The Presentation of Awards was presented to the students by Smith Jackson, Vice President, Student Life; Dr. Jean Rattigan-Rohr, Associate Professor, Education; and Chris Woods (Class of 2006). The Charge to the Students was given Rev. Eddie Spencer IV, Pastor, Elon First Baptist Church, Elon, North Carolina. The Benediction was given by Renita Leak Webb (Class of 2004). Some names included: Neima Abdulahi, Markisha Allen, Briana Alston, Kingsley Anim, Antonio Austin, Daniel Baquet, Jermile Batten, Yvette Bean, Raven Bennett, Danielle Biggs, Trishelle Byrd, Alisha Carter, James Carter, III, Briana Cauthen, Patrick Clanton, Devon Clark, Julian Council, Alexander Dawson IV, Whitley Dozier, Nia Duke, Egheosa Edomwonyi, Crystal Edwards, Jordan Frazier, Evan Glover, Tiffany Golding, Kyle Graham, Jasmine Gregory, Jeremy Guinn, Chelsea Gund, Eleisha Hairston, William Hairston, Brea Hamilton, Adrianne Haney, Takiyah Harrell, Courtney Harris, Kelsey Harris, Bethany Hill, Taylor Hill, Kristopher Jiles, Ashley Jobe, Tyrice Johnson, Derrick Joshua, Olufemi Lamikanra, Krystal Lanclos, Rachel Lewis, Sydney Little, Amanda Locke, Raven Manigault, Shelby McKay, Andrea McLean, Janelle McNeil, Chelsea McQueen, Nana Mensah, Maggie Mial, Aisha Mitchell, Craig Moore, Jr., Kevin Moore, Riese Narcisse, Omolayo Ojo, Jordan Only, Aviya Payne, Justin Pierce, Ryson Porter, Cedric Pulliam, Brenda Reavis, Sarah Rezac, Dionne Richardson, Alvin Dale Riley, II, Alexandra Robinson, Jordan Robinson, Samantha Simunyu, Autumn Spriggs, Zora Stephenson, Alexa Sykes, Jordan Thomas, David Turner, Devarrick Turner, Tori Twine, Courtney Vaughn, Collin Watson, Jordan West, Aiyana Williams, and David Williams.