What does making a difference look like? For the Honorable Justin Bibb, SPA/BA ’09, mayor of Cleveland, Ohio, it means activating the university’s motto: turning “ideas into action, [and] action into service.” And when it came to honoring the excellence of six Black AU alumni, Mayor Bibb could not have raised more apt phrasing. 

Hosted by the university’s Black Alumni Alliance in conjunction with the Alumni Association, the 11th annual CBCF Ebony Eagles of Excellence Awards Reception convened Black leaders and AU community members for an evening of celebration and networking. The honorees—who have held careers in everything from public service and the nonprofit sector to academia and athletics—incite societal change through their civic and professional engagement. Their successes also lay a foundation for Ebony Eagles of the future to build upon. 

“This is a chance to celebrate legacies while inspiring generations to come,” said President of the Alumni Board, Jonathan Mathis, PhD, Kogod/BSBA ’04. “There’s no question that the excellence in this room will advance the work of the university and our commitment to the vision that Change Can’t Wait.” 

Honorees’ family, friends, and colleagues shared well wishes in the form of video clips, and Mayor Bibb issued a short speech on behalf of the group. He reflected on his transformation from a “skinny, working-class Black kid” with “big, bold dreams to change the world” into a confident political player. During his time at AU, a service-learning experience in Southeast DC honed his interest in local organizing. He realized he wanted to return home to Ohio, asking, “If not me, then who?” Today, he leads the charge in police reform, economic justice, and more in Cleveland, hoping to make his home city a model for other US cities to follow. 

“As my mom always said when I was growing up” he remembered, “well done is better than well said.” He added, “It’s up to all of us, particularly us Black Americans, to make the promise of this nation real once and for all.” 

Darlene Slaughter, SPA/MS ’93, and Kelly Wilson III, Kogod/BSBA ’84, served as emcees. They welcomed President Sylvia Burwell to the stage for an opening address and introduced the following event awardees—including the recipient of the inaugural Volunteer Impact Award: 

Shukurat Adomoh-Faniyan, SOE/MAT ’10  
Executive Director, Reading Partners DC 

An exemplar of nonprofit leadership, Adomoh-Faniyan dedicates her days to boosting kids’ reading skills—right here in the nation’s capital. She formerly taught 5th-grade math and science and served as the head of a Southeast DC charter school. 

Dr. Fanta Aw, Kogod/BSBA ’90, SPA/MA ’94, CAS/PhD ’11 
Vice President of Undergraduate Enrollment, Office of Campus Life, and Inclusive Excellence, American University 

A campus legend, this triple Eagle takes every opportunity she can to engage with students, families, and alumni. In the words of President Burwell, there is “no greater advocate for access and equity.” 

The Honorable Justin Bibb, SPA/BA ’09 
Mayor, Cleveland, Ohio 

Bibb, the first millennial mayor of Cleveland, previously interned in Barack Obama’s senatorial office and served as a nonprofit leader. Only 35 years old, “he has been a changemaker since his time at AU, volunteering to support youth in the DC public school systems,” Wilson said. 

Joy Thomas Moore, SOC/BA ’72, SOC/MA ’73 
Author/Consultant, Frontline Solutions 

This Peabody award–winning communicator advanced social change through her work in philanthropic consulting. An early member of OASATAU, the organization that blossomed into AU’s Black Student Alliance, Moore’s legacy continues to shine. 

Edmund “Ed” Tapscott, WCL/JD ’80 
Vice President of Player Programs & Player Personnel Scouting, Minnesota Timberwolves 

Tapscott, former AU men’s basketball coach, knows what it means to make plays in the NBA. An experienced sports executive, he also led the Washington Wizards as interim head coach between 2008 and 2009. 

The Inaugural Ebony Eagle Volunteer Impact Award Recipient 
Jolene McNeil, SPA/BA ’97 
Director of Event Operations, American Public Health Association 

The founding chair of the BAA, McNeil was recognized as a key leader—largely for her work advancing AU’s affinity programs.