For the first time in its 80-year history, the NAACP’s Staunton Branch is offering a scholarship for local high school seniors and undergraduates. WMRA’s Omega Ilijevich reports.
To mark the start of Black History Month, the Staunton Branch of the NAACP announced the inaugural TJ Jemison Scholarship, named after chapter founder and civil rights activist Rev. Dr. Theodore Jemison, Sr. This is the first-ever youth scholarship to come out of the local branch, led by President Sabrina Burress. She says the grant speaks to the past, present, and future of the organization.
SABRINA BURRESS: I think we have a clear understanding that the work of years from now starts today, and it's going to require us to really be engaged with youth and then to provide them something that feels like it's meaningful.
Since its announcement, the scholarship’s initial $500 award has already been matched by donors. Burress says recipients can use the funds for college, trade school, or even work ambitions. To qualify, students must have a grade point average of at least 2.0, and be a current member of, or join, the NAACP.
BURRESS: One of the things we talk about is academic resilience versus academic excellence. … We're really looking for future leaders who have a clear sense of what it means to be a leader.
For Burress, the scholarship is part of a larger, ongoing effort to encourage youth involvement in the chapter. Other initiatives include dues sponsorship for young members and reinstallment of the local “Youth Council” — the student-led branch of the NAACP that was inactive in Staunton for over ten years.
Applications for the 2026 TJ Jemison Youth Scholarship open March 1st.
