23 College Scholarships Awarded To Young Men in Chicago At Annual Gala

Tenisha Taylor (middle) is the founder of the Ezekial Taylor Scholarship Foundation which recently hosted its annual gala where 23 young men received college scholarships. Photo Credit: Ezekial Taylor Scholarship Foundation
Tenisha Taylor (middle) is the founder of the Ezekial Taylor Scholarship Foundation which recently hosted its annual gala where 23 young men received college scholarships. Photo Credit: Ezekial Taylor Scholarship Foundation

23 College Scholarships Awarded To Young Men in Chicago At Annual Gala

BY KATHERINE NEWMAN

In April of 1982, 34-year-old Ezekiel Taylor tragically lost his life when three young men stole his car as he stopped at a fast-food restaurant on 79th Street and Stony Island Avenue after church one day.

Decades later, his daughter Tenisha Taylor founded the Ezekiel Taylor Scholarship Foundation to honor his memory. The foundation recently

hosted it’s Third Annual Ezekiel Taylor Scholarship Foundation Gala and Silent Auction where 23 young men received college scholarships.

“Unfortunately, tragedy struck my family when I was really young and my dad was killed in a carjacking,” said Taylor. “As I got older and worked in the news industry, I was reporting back on what is happening here in our city, the senseless gun violence, and what is happening to our young

people. I wondered how I could help impact change and also how could I pair that with honoring my father at the same time so we launched the Ezekiel Taylor Scholarship Foundation.”

Over the last three years, the Ezekiel Taylor Scholarship Foundation has awarded over 50 scholarships and caught the attention of celebrities, major news networks, and big-name sponsors. This year’s event was sponsored by Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Zip Car Chicago, GN Bank, Miss Jessie’s, Chicago Public Schools, and Dunlap Security to name a few.

Nationally recognized journalist, Roland S. Martin, served as the gala’s honorary chairman and NBC 5’s Art Norman hosted the annual gala.

7th Ward Alderman, Greg Mitchell, and radio personality Crazy Howard Mcgee also showed their support for the foundation at the recent event.

“As a proud Grambling State University Alumnus, I am especially proud that several of the young men have chosen to attend HBCU’s such as Howard, Fisk, Morehouse, Clark Atlanta, Alabama A&M, and Central State,” said Alderman Mitchell. “I have no doubt that each of these impressive and talented young men will achieve great success and one day mentor, empower and encourage those that follow in their footsteps.”

Beyond receiving a scholarship, the young men who were honored at the gala also receive mentorship through the Ezekiel Taylor Scholarship

Foundation. The college students can reach out to Taylor directly and also have their own mentor who connects with them monthly.

“Our door stays open to these young men 24/7 and they all have my phone number,” said Taylor. “Their mentors are like their life coach and they are attached to them for four years. We are committed to them for four years and once you get in with our program we want to see you finish and see it through. We want to make sure that you graduate and make it across that stage at graduation with a college degree.”

The Ezekiel Taylor Scholarship Foundation is a grassroots effort and the organization is always accepting donations online which go directly into the scholarship fund.

To learn more or to make a donation, visit www.eztaylor.org.

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