A Grammy-winning voice, a standing ovation, and a quarter-century of mission work converged recently at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C., where the U.S. Dream Academy celebrated its 25th Annual Power of a Dream Gala. The nonprofit, which supports children of incarcerated parents and young people in underserved communities, used the night to honor leaders it says have shaped that mission, while singer Regina Belle delivered a performance that organizers say stopped the room.
A Theme Tied to America's 250th Anniversary
The gala carried the theme “Dreams Evolve: Transforming Lives Together for America 250,” according to a press release distributed via EIN Presswire, which said the event celebrated the nation's 250th anniversary while spotlighting the importance of investing in children of incarcerated parents. NBC4 journalist Shawn Yancy served as host, the release states. The Akron Beacon Journal also carried the release, noting the Duke Ellington School of the Arts Jazz Band welcomed guests at the sponsor reception before the main program began.
Regina Belle performed her award-winning classic “A Whole New World” alongside local artist Duawne Starling, earning a standing ovation, per the release. She also performed with the Takoma Academy Camerata Choir and U.S. Dream Academy students from Baltimore. U.S. Dream Academy founder Wintley Phipps delivered remarks and sang his own rendition of “Amazing Grace” during the evening.
Awards Honor Corporate and Corrections Leadership
Margita Thompson, chief corporate affairs officer of Aventiv Technologies, received the President's Award in recognition of her leadership and commitment to creating positive impact, the release says. Maine Department of Corrections Commissioner Randall A. Liberty received the Martin Luther King Jr. Service Award for what the organization described as his transformative leadership in prison reform and his commitment to restoring dignity to incarcerated individuals.
The release notes that Liberty, who served as warden of Maine State Prison, visited his own incarcerated father there as a child — a detail tied to his later work designing what the organization calls the Maine Model of Corrections. Under his leadership, the release says, incarcerated residents secured remote employment opportunities and earned competitive wages meant to support their families, repay victims, and prepare for reintegration. Jafaru Levere received the Mentor of the Year Award, according to the same release.
CEO Reflects on Two Decades of Investment
C. Diane Wallace Booker, CEO of the U.S. Dream Academy, said the gala has celebrated what is possible when people invest in young people over 25 years. The organization thanked Giant, Aventiv Technologies, Markerman, AdventHealth, and Mo and Richard Anderson for sponsoring the event, per the release.
Founded in 1998 by Phipps, the U.S. Dream Academy says it provides mentorship, academic support, and character development to children impacted by parental incarceration and other challenges, and that it has helped thousands of young people recognize their potential and pursue purposeful futures. A 2024 evaluation by RAND documented the scale of that mentoring work, finding that 198 students received mentoring across six Dream sites during the 2022–2023 school year, with about 28 percent of those students having an incarcerated parent. RAND also found that some Dream sites experienced challenges retaining staff and filling vacancies, which led to delays in starting mentorship activities that year. A separate RAND research brief described the program's mentoring options as ranging from fully in-person sessions to fully virtual ones, as well as a hybrid of the two.
A Fundraising Track Record Built Over Decades
The organization's annual galas have raised more than $20 million since 2001, according to a 2023 report from Bethesda Magazine. That same report detailed the Academy's 2023 25th-anniversary gala, held at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., which raised $3.5 million including a $2.5 million donation from Oprah Winfrey — a separate milestone event from the gala described in this year's release. At that 2023 event, the Academy says it awarded $15,000 to three alumni students and secured a commitment of $32,500 per year in scholarships from Washington Adventist University, according to the organization's own gala archive.
