Director and CEO of the Lucas
Museum of Narrative Art Sandra
Jackson-Dumont will receive the
Trailblazer Award. (photo courtesy of the
Los Angeles Urban League)

The Los Angeles Urban League is set to host its 49th Whitney M. Young, Jr. Awards Gala on Thursday, May 30. The awards dinner will take place at the Fairmont Century Plaza, located at 2025 Avenue of the Stars. The red carpet arrivals begin at 5:30 pm and the awards celebration begins at 6:30 pm.

This year’s prestigious honorees include Noel Massie, chairman emeritus of the Los Angeles Urban League, who will receive the Whitney M. Young, Jr. Award; Robert Simonds, founder and chairman of STX Entertainment and Anne Biondi Simonds, founder and CEO, Muse Systems Enterprises, will jointly receive the John Mack Legacy Award; Sandra JacksonDumont, director and CEO of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, will be awarded the Trailblazer Award; and Ron Frierson, Amazon’s director of economic development of the Western U.S., will be the recipient of the Visionary Award. David A. Thomas, president of Morehouse College, is the Keynote Speaker.

“We are thrilled to be celebrating the contribution of our honorees. Not only are they some of the best individuals who contribute immensely to our community, but their largess help empower the Los Angeles Urban League” said Cynthia Mitchell-Heard, president and CEO of the Los Angeles Urban League. “We are grateful for the support that our sponsors continue to provide us to uplift Los Angeles County’s underserved community.”

The black-tie gala’s past honorees include a list of “who’s who in Los Angeles.” Sports legends such as the late John Wooden and Earvin “Magic” Johnson, as well as entertainers such as Denzel Washington, the late Natalie Cole, Sidney Poitier and the legendary Stevie Wonder were past honorees. The list of past honorees also included businessman and media mogul Byron Allen; political commentator and author Van Jones; educator, historian and the 14th secretary of the Smithsonian Institute Lonnie G. Bunch III, and community leaders from organizations such as Toyota, Disney, NBC Universal, Los Angeles Police Department and Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund.

The 2024 gala ambassadors include Kathy Ireland, Jason Collins, Mattie McFadden Lawson and Paula Madison. The Honorary Committee includes Liza Minnelli, John Feltheimer, Irena and Mike Medavoy, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, Carol Biondi, Lesie & Cliff GilbertLurie, Tom Rothman, Marilyn McCoo, Billy Davis Jr., Michael Feinstein and Terrence Flannery.

For information, visit laul.org.