The Washington Program includes a vast array of activities designed to challenge, inspire, and expose scholars to their leadership potential. During their summers in Washington, scholars meet with some of the nation’s most prominent public and private sector leaders.
Congressman John Lewis spoke with Institute scholars each year. He would spend several hours in his Capitol Hill office with the scholars, providing a unique view of the Civil Rights Movement, discussing his childhood in rural Alabama, his college days at Fisk University, and his work to bring national and international attention to the Civil Rights Movement.
Before his passing, General Colin Powell opened his last session with the Institute by saying he looks forward to his meetings with the scholars each summer because he is guaranteed to see a group of young African American men who are well dressed, well spoken, and prepared to engage him in high level discussions of national and international affairs. General Powell’s talks ranged from the leadership traits necessary to succeed in a global society to the importance of service. At the end of each session, he implored the scholars to take an active role in mentoring the next generation of young people, especially African American boys.
Governor Wes Moore of Maryland welcomed the Institute to the State Capitol where he discussed his life, career, and how to make a difference in peoples’ lives through elected office. He opened the session by talking about the importance of programs like the Institute and how the country needs talented and hardworking young men who committed to their communities.
John W. Rogers Jr., founder of Ariel Investments, the oldest Black owned investment firm in the nation, shared lifelong lessons on topics that ranged from finance to politics, from leadership to entrepreneurship, and how he scaled his firm from managing thousands to billions of dollars.
