Oakwood University to host 31st Annual UNCF “Salute to Education” Gala on April 9

Huntsville, Ala. – The 31st Annual United Negro College Fund Salute to Education Gala will take place Thursday, April 9, 2009 in the North Hall of the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Alabama.  The guest speaker will be Dr. Julianne Malveaux, President of Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, North Carolina.  Malveaux is a renowned speaker and author, whose popular articles have appeared in USA Today, Black Issues in Higher Education, Ms. Magazine and Essence Magazine. The entertainer of the evening will be the talented recording gospel artist, John Stoddart, an accomplished producer, writer, composer and instrumentalist.

Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. Reserved tables are available for $1,000.  Individual tickets are $65; student tickets are $35. For more information, call Oakwood University at (256) 726-7202.

As the nation’s oldest and most successful private minority education assistance organization, the United Negro College Fund’s mission is to increase minority degree attainment by providing financial support to its 39 member institutions, reduce financial barriers to college and serve as a national advocate for minority education.  UNCF institutions and other historically black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding 18 percent of African American baccalaureate degrees.  UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs.  UNCF supports more than 60,000 students across the country, including Huntsville's Oakwood University.  For 38 years, UNCF has been known by its iconic motto, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”®