Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and UNCF President Michael Lomax greet U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock attend the UNCF 39th Atlanta Mayor's Masked Ball at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis on Saturday, December 17, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo: Itoro N. Umontuen/The Atlanta Voice)

The United Negro College Fund Atlanta Mayor’s Masked Ball is Atlanta’s premier fundraising gala that focuses on raising awareness of the need and benefits of a college education, the students UNCF serves, and the contributions of private Historically Black Colleges and Universities since 1944.

This year’s black-tie gala is the 40th anniversary of the signature event in our city. It is hosted by Karyn Greer of WSB-TV. Singer Stephanie Mills will provide the entertainment at the end of the evening. 

In the Sept. 29, 1973 edition of The Atlanta Voice, it was reported the City of Atlanta sought to create the Hank Aaron Foundation Center, as a monument to the legendary baseball player while driving proceeds toward scholarships for Black students who sought to attend Historically Black Colleges and Universities that were supported by the UNCF. 

Ultimately, the creation of the UNCF Mayor’s Masked Ball in 1984, would be spearheaded by Aaron and Mayor Andrew Young instead.

Mistress of Ceremonies, Tamron Hall, greets Billy and Hank Aaron at the 36th Annual Mayor’s Masked Ball at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2019. (Photo: Itoro N. Umontuen/The Atlanta Voice)

“Hank and Billye Aaron’s sincere belief in our motto, ‘A mind is a terrible thing to waste,’ led them to co-found with former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young, the first-ever Atlanta Mayor’s Masked Ball,” said Maurice Jenkins, UNCF’s Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer in a 2021 interview. “The Mayor’s Masked Ball has become an annual fundraising tradition in Atlanta, drawing ever-larger crowds each year and breaking the million-dollar mark several years in a row. 

“The Mayor’s Masked Ball has now been franchised across the United States to several other cities to help UNCF raise money in other locations because of its model of success—all thanks to the passion and ingenuity of Hank and Billye Aaron,” Jenkins added.

UNCF Atlanta serves the following institutions:

Georgia

South Carolina

Tennessee

For more information, please visit UNCF Atlanta’s website.
Again, ‘a mind is a terrible thing to waste!’

Itoro Umontuen currently serves as Managing Editor of The Atlanta Voice. Upon his arrival to the historic publication, he served as their Director of Photography. As a mixed-media journalist, Umontuen...