L.E.A.D. Scholars
  • Our Mission I Our Program
  • 2025 Members+Club History
  • How to Support Us
  • How Scholars Can Join Us
  • How to Nominate a Scholar
L.E.A.D. Scholars
  • Our Mission I Our Program
  • 2025 Members+Club History
  • How to Support Us
  • How Scholars Can Join Us
  • How to Nominate a Scholar

Club History

 The organization was founded in 1989 by twenty women for the purpose of carrying on educational (literary and scientific), social and/or charitable projects designed to help eliminate some of the contemporary obstacles that confront African-American youth. The objective of the program has been to enhance academic and social development through workshops, seminars and cultural activities, focusing especially on the youth that attend inner city schools in the Greater Los Angeles area.

Ladies for ethnic advancement & dignity, inc.

2025 L.E.A.D. Members

Audrey M. AL-Hamd

Joan Anderson

Bernadette W. Bennett

Annie Battle Bolden

Susan Bradshaw

Wanda J. Crim

Cecilia Van Dyke Day

Agnes J. Dodd

Alberta Edmond

Jessie M. Ford

Rhonda Foster

Ingrid Green

Shirley R. Jackson

Katrina Jones

Brenda A. Manuel

Connie Meigs

Ruby Miles

Cheryl Newman

Gwen Chambers Randolph

Janet Robinson

Mary Stovall

Adrienne Walden

Inga Warren



In Memoriam:

Shirley Autrey

Josie Bain

Judy Davis

Jane Ezel

Naomi Robinson

Winnie Washington

Our Programs

Community Food Security

Community Food Security

Community Food Security

Food security is an important part of community justice. We partner with local businesses and fight hunger by packaging and loading boxes at the Santa Monica Airport Hangar onto trucks for food delivery. Help us connect with donors and with people in need. 

Volunteer Service

Community Food Security

Community Food Security

Every year, L.E.A.D. members mobilize to make a real difference by visiting senior citizen centers and delivering essential items. Join us and see what can be accomplished when you get an impassioned team to focus on change.

Community Connections

Community Food Security

Community Connections

Our community is full of people who want to help. We work to help the people providing services with the people who need them. Distributing water annually for the L.A. Marathon allows us to connect with people in new ways.

Making Change

Rhonda Foster, Pitzer College ’82 and her son, Alec, were invited by President Biden to the White House on July 11 to celebrate the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. 


Foster and her husband, Pitzer Trustee Ruett Foster ’81, have devoted their lives to violence prevention after their 7-year-old son, Evan, was killed by errant bullets in 1997. Alec, who was 10 months old at the time, survived gunshot injuries sustained during the incident. He is now a graduate of the University of Arizona and hosts the WoMen Against Gun Violence podcast, Bullet Points: Hot Topics on Gun Violence Prevention. 


Foster says she is grateful for the recent passage of gun legislation and continues to advocate for universal background checks and a ban on assault weapons. 

Making Change

During the October Scholars workshop, Zechariah Crouch, currently a sophomore at UC Berkeley and LEAD Scholar graduate, surprised each member of the Scholars Committee with a dozen roses. He also shared his experience with the scholars.

LEAD 2024-2025 Officers with Deon and Winner, founders of G.U.M.P. (Greater Under Mental Pressure) Topics: Mental Wellness & Bullying

LEAD 2024-2025 Officers with Deon and Winner, founders of G.U.M.P. (Greater Under Mental Pressure)

Events

CBS Sunday Morning Feature: What's in a Name?

Lt. General (Retired) Thomas Bostick was interviewed on CBS Sunday Morning, on his latest charge that he has taken to stand for righteousness, giving honor to whom it is justly due.  This was greatly impactful to me and I honor Tom, my in-law, for his continued leadership and courage in making a difference in our country.

                 ~ Rhonda Foster (L.E.A.D. Member)

A Message from scholar vice president

Joshua Thompson

LEAD has instilled in me new courage as well as the opportunity to teach about the importance of integrity, value, preparedness, presentation and uplifting leadership.  A verse from the Book of Joshua 1:9 sums up the values I have harvested from LEAD: 

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

LEAD ceremony 2022

        High School Freshman, Class of 2027

Welcome 2024-2025 L.E.A.D. Officers

(Seen in order of photo)

Joshua Thompson: Sergeant-at-arms

Samuel Banks: President

Karron Williams: Secretary

Victoria Carriere: Vice President


Find out more

GIVE TODAY

Your support and contributions will enable us to meet our goals to provide leadership training seminars and annual scholarships to our scholars. Your generous donation will fund our mission.  

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