The 2026 Reflections of Excellence program brought Morehouse College students together with some of the most accomplished leaders in business, medicine, science, and the arts for a morning of reflection, honesty, and hard-earned wisdom. Held as part of Founders Week and connected to the legacy of the A Candle in the Dark Gala, the program celebrated Morehouse’s commitment to pairing excellence with access, mentorship, and truth-telling.
The program opened with a welcome from the president of Morehouse College, Dr. F. DuBois Bowman '92 who reminded students that Reflections of Excellence was created to extend the impact of the Candle and Bennie honorees beyond the gala stage and directly into the lives of students. For nearly four decades, The "A Candle in the Dark" Gala has brought global leaders to campus to support scholarships. Reflections of Excellence ensures that those same leaders also share their journeys, challenges, and lessons in an intimate, student-centered setting. Excellence, President Bowman noted, is not abstract at Morehouse. It is practiced, taught, and scaled.
The conversation was guided by Emmy-nominated journalist Jonathan Martin, whose ties to Atlanta and long-standing support of HBCUs set the tone for an engaging and grounded dialogue. Martin encouraged students to listen closely, take notes, and prepare to actively engage, emphasizing that the insights shared during the program were not theoretical, but lived.
This year’s Bennie Award honorees represented leadership, service, and trailblazing at the highest levels. James Hudson ’01, recipient of the 2026 Bennie Trailblazer Award, reflected on the professors and alumni who shaped his understanding of responsibility and vision during his time at Morehouse. Willie Woods ’85, the 2026 Bennie Service Award recipient, spoke to the discipline and discernment required to balance private equity leadership with long-term service to institutions and communities. Dr. Willie Underwood III ’88, honored with the 2026 Bennie Leadership Award, shared how his Morehouse experience laid the foundation for a career centered on service, equity, and his current role as president-elect of the American Medical Association.
Morehouse students took part in direct dialogue with honorees, gaining insight from leaders across industries.
The 2026 Candle honorees expanded the conversation across industries and life paths. Eric Johnson, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Baldwin Richardson Foods and recipient of the Candle in Business Award, discussed leadership decisions made during moments of uncertainty and how values-driven risk-taking shaped his career. Dr. Robert Satcher, former NASA astronaut, physician, and Candle in Science, Engineering and Technology honoree, spoke candidly about resisting pressure to narrow his ambitions and instead embracing the full scope of his talents. Filmmaker Malcolm D. Lee, recipient of the Candle in Arts and Entertainment Award, reflected on the responsibility of telling Black stories with care, joy, and authenticity, and the importance of honoring community memory through art.
Throughout the program, students heard a consistent message across generations and professions: success is rarely linear, mentorship matters, and purpose must remain central. Honorees repeatedly pointed back to teachers, elders, and moments of guidance that helped them navigate doubt, complexity, and expectation.
The program concluded with a robust question-and-answer session, where students engaged directly with the honorees on leadership, career choices, faith, failure, and the realities of navigating power and responsibility as Black men. The exchange reinforced what the Reflections of Excellence is designed to do: create space for honesty, connection, and learning that cannot be replicated elsewhere.