The NAACP x Society Awards 2021 Scholarship Winners Named

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May 11, 2021, 11:21 ET

NEW YORK, May 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In 2020, the NAACP Hollywood Bureau and Society Awards partnered to offer the first-ever NAACP x Society Awards Scholarship. The one-time financial scholarship was open to high school seniors who plan to pursue a degree in the arts from an accredited college or university.

The NAACP and Society Awards both believe in the value and impact of art and design. Good design is a powerful tool and a strong competitive advantage. We launched this scholarship to support and encourage the pursuit of arts education in the United States. There is an incredible need for talented artists and designers. Not only do they make our world more beautiful, but they also have the power to make meaningful societal change through the universal language of art. Applicants were asked "how can you use art to amplify the Black Lives Matter movement?"

We received an incredibly talented group of applicants this year. We would like to thank all the performing arts high school administrators who made this year's application pool so strong.

The recipient of the first-place, $2,500 scholarship is Jasmine Ward (DeKalb School of the Arts, Avondale Estates, GA, Class of '21). Jasmine is an actress, poet and overall creative. She will attend Pennsylvania State University in the fall and plans to major in theater and has aspirations of pursuing an acting career.

McKenzie Franklin (LACHSA, Los Angeles, CA, Class of '21) earned the second-place scholarship of $1,500. McKenzie is an actress and plans to attend Spellman College in the fall. She plans to major in theater and psychology and has aspirations of becoming a forensic psychologist and a professional actress.

The recipient of the third and final scholarship of $500 is David Marsh II (Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Washington DC, Class of '21). David plays the trumpet and is undecided on which school he will attend in the fall. David plans to major in computer engineering and music. He aspires to become a computer engineer and professional musician.

We wish Jasmine, McKenzie and David the very best in their artistic and professional endeavors.

NAACP Hollywood Bureau is a satellite of the National office with a mission to hold the entertainment industry accountable for advancing diversity in front of and behind the lens. The Bureau addresses issues of diversity programming and minority employment in Hollywood and oversees the production of the NAACP Image Awards. For more information about NAACP, visit the organization's website at https://www.naacp.org/campaigns/naacp-hollywood-bureau/.

Society Awards is the premiere company that designs and manufactures high-end custom awards, recognition products, and many other luxury objects of desire. Its prestigious clientele ranges from televised entertainment programs, charitable organizations, Fortune 500 corporations and film festivals all over the country. Society Awards counts high profile award shows including the Emmy's, Golden Globes, MTV Video Music and Movie Awards, CFDA Awards, GLADD Awards, American Music Awards and many others as clients. Learn more at www.societyawards.com

SOURCE Society Awards