By Darlene Donloe
Contributing Writer
LOS ANGELES — The United Negro College Fund Los Angeles will bring back its iconic Masked Ball Feb. 20 at the Skirball Cultural Center.
After a five-year hiatus, the star-studded event is back with equal parts social scene, a dash of activism, and social impact for what is being described as an evening of elegance, inspiration and empowerment.
The event, which will include a who’s who of L.A.’s Black movers and shakers, is taking place to advance education and opportunities for the next generation.
Veda Ramsay-Stamps, UNCF Los Angeles’s regional development director, said the masked ball fits into the broader mission of supporting education and community development in Los Angeles.
“We are just beginning that process,” Ramsay-Stamps said. “We are rebuilding it. In general, I’m building a partnership with educational institutions to create more pipelines to get our students who are from L.A. and attend HBCUs, to come back to Los Angeles and go into teacher credentialing programs.”
Ramsay-Stamps, who has been in her position for two years, said joining UNCF Los Angeles was a no-brainer.
“I love UNCF’s mission of ensuring students have the opportunities to go off to college without being burdened with debt and having resources provided to them that help keep them there,” Ramsay-Stamps said. “I’ve always been an advocate for college programs.”
UNCF Los Angeles is currently undergoing reconstruction.
“It’s been five years since the last Masked Ball,” Ramsay-Stamps said. “The pandemic happened, there were issues with staffing, and then we had the fires. We are in a rebuilding mode. A lot of our supporters have aged out. Part of our strategy is to attract a young, professional audience.”
This year, UNCF Los Angeles will celebrate several well-known personalities.
Ramsay-Stamps said this year’s honorees are a testament to the power of impact and inspiration. The list includes actress, entrepreneur, and author Tabitha Brown and her husband, Chance Brown; restaurateur Greg Dulan; businesswoman Valeisha Butterfield; and rapper/singer-songwriter Anderson .Paak, Michelle Gaskill-Hames (Regional President for Kaiser Foundation Hospitals in Southern California and Hawaii), and renowned jazz pianist and educator Billy Mitchell. They’ve been described as a diverse group of change makers who embody UNCF Los Angeles’s mission.
“Our honorees are individuals who have made a significant impact on education and our community,” Ramsay-Stamps said. “We’re looking for HBCU alums doing major things, people impacting culture, and business excellence. And, of course, we’re in L.A., so we’re also looking for shiny stars.”
Ramsay-Stamps said Billy Mitchell is doing amazing work in the community.
“He has a program that teaches youth about the importance of being connected to music,” she said. “He teaches the arts.”
Mitchell will be honored for his transformative work in music education and community empowerment.
An acclaimed jazz pianist, educator, and Morehouse College graduate, Mitchell, originally from Buffalo, New York, founded the Scholarship Audition Performance Preparatory Academy, providing free music training and scholarship support to youth across South Los Angeles. He also leads the Watts-Willowbrook Music Academy and Youth Symphony, creating pathways to higher education through the arts. His work empowers underserved students by pairing talent with mentorship, resources and opportunity.
Mitchell said he cares about kids because “Kids are all we got.”
“Without them, we don’t have a future or culture,” he said. “It’s the only thing that’s real. We have to train our kids, or nothing is happening. We haven’t held on to our kids like we should. We bought into some things — and we know better.”
Mitchell, who “loves being an artist,” said he found out a couple of months ago that he was going to be honored by UNCF.
“For me, it’s like the ultimate honor,” said Mitchell, who has supported UNCF for years. “We’ve had a bunch of success with kids coming out of our program going to college. Our program is free.
“After COVID, the response has changed. We’ve had 150 annually, but right now we’re at about 50-75 kids. We had three sites; now there is one site on Saturday morning for violin, cello and orchestra rehearsal classes. On Wednesdays, we have reading and theory classes. I love that UNCF is supporting Black colleges. That’s their work. They give the kids and colleges additional support.”
Mitchell said this kind of support will help to expose his organization’s work.
“There’s a need for us to be known,” he said. “Our program is free, and so many young folks don’t know about the opportunity. There is a real need. It takes a constant push and exposure.”
The UNCF Los Angeles Masked Ball will also feature student testimonials.
“Ethan Franklin Allen Jr. will be one of the student speakers,” Ramsay-Stamps said. “He attended UC Berkeley. He received an emergency scholarship. His family lost their home during the fires in Altadena.
“Another young lady, Loie White, who goes to Spelman, will be on stage with him. She was also impacted by the fires. She didn’t lose her home, but her home was damaged, and her family was displaced.”
Emmy-winning journalist Melvin Robert and actress Dawnn Lewis (“A Different World”) will emcee the festivities, which will also feature performances by singer Mario and Divas & Drummers.
The evening will also feature an invocation by Royal Harrison.
The 450 guests expected to attend will include dignitaries, civic leaders, and top executives, all united in advancing UNCF’s mission to empower the next generation through education.
The UNCF Los Angeles Masked Ball is more than just a gala – it’s a powerful moment to honor legacy, champion excellence, and create lasting change in the community.
Ramsay-Stamps said UNCF Los Angeles hopes to raise $600,000. Tickets are $750. Proceeds from the event will support UNCF’s critical work, including scholarships, college readiness programs and advocacy initiatives.
An After the Ball event with the Inter-Alumni Council, a subsidiary of UNCF made up of all of the alumni groups in Los Angeles, will take place immediately following the masked ball. Singer Mario will perform, DJ Benjamin will be on the turntable, and KJLH personality Ricky Ruckus will host. Tickets are $100.
“The funds raised are used to support HBCUs and also student scholarships,” Ramsay-Stamps said. “It’s not only L.A. students going to HBCUs. It’s unrestricted funding.”
Ramsay-Stamps said it’s important for everyone to attend the masked ball.
“Although we are in times that are so confusing and perplexing, it’s important that people attend the ball,” she said. “It’s still important to move forward with events to make sure we are supporting our HBCUs, as well as L.A. students who need scholarships.”
Ramsay-Stamps said last year the organization developed an emergency fund.
“We canceled our ball,” she said. “We moved the funds toward a scholarship fund for those impacted by the L.A. fires. We have already provided several scholarships to students. Having the ball this year will help to promote our efforts. We want everyone to enjoy themselves and be entertained at the ball.”
The 2026 UNCF LA Masked Ball, at the Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., starts at 5 p.m. with a VIP reception, followed by dinner and the program at 6 p.m., and live entertainment and dancing at 8 p.m.
Darlene Donloe is a freelance reporter for Wave Newspapers who covers South Los Angeles. She can be reached at ddonloe@gmail.com.
