ABCL Scholarship Program

ABCL Vision

An organization that strives to make Lexington more welcoming to Black folks from across the African diaspora so that Black adults enjoy living here and urge their family, friends, and colleagues to move to town; Black children have access to all of the resources in this town and consider raising a family here; and Black-owned business prosper and hire local residents.

ABCL Scholarship Fund

The Association of Black Citizens of Lexington raises money each year to fund a scholarship program. Active members (i.e. dues up to date) and their direct relatives are eligible to apply.  The rules appear below.

ABCL Scholarship Rules

  • Applicant must be an active member or have a relative who is an active member of ABCL. The relative must be a father or mother, grandfather or grandmother, brother or sister or legal guardian.
  • Applicant must be accepted at a college, university or trade or technical school. (Student may be full or part-time.)
  • Academic record, ACT or SAT results, extracurricular activities and essay will be used by a panel to make its selection.
  • The award is for one year and is renewable, however, the student must reapply.
  • All applications must be received before March 31st to: ABCL Scholarship, 56 Taft Avenue, Lexington, MA 02421 OR emailed to Jonathan Suber at admin@abclex.org
  • Recipients will be notified by May 1st.
  • The ABCL Board has absolute discretion in selecting recipients of the award and in determining the amount of said award. The Board may make amendments and modifications of the rules and regulations pertaining to the selection of award recipients, the amount of each award and the payment of awards as they, in their sole discretion, determine.
  • When an applicant has been named as a recipient of the award he or she shall, prior to June 1 in the year of the award, present to ABCL satisfactory evidence of his or her acceptance or continued enrollment at a college or university or trade or technical school. Failure to do so will forfeit the scholarship.
  • The scholarship may be paid directly to the college, university or trade or technical school or may be paid directly to the recipient of the award.

Alan Dawson Berklee Scholarship

In 1975, ABCL Portrait Banner Honoree Alan Dawson ended his 18-year teaching career at Berklee and worked out of his home until his death in 1996.

  • For undergraduate and graduate studies at Berklee College of Music
  • Additional applicant eligibility requirements
  • Current or past Lexington resident and/or
  • LPS senior and alumnus

In honor of ABCL Portrait Banner Honoree Alan Dawson and other Black Lexington residents who taught/teach at Berklee, including John Ramsay and Francisco Mela.

Martin Luther Kilson, Jr. HBCU Scholarship

The Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, defines an HBCU as: “…any historically black college or university that was established prior to 1964, whose principal mission was, and is, the education of black Americans, and that is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association determined by the Secretary [of Education] to be a reliable authority as to the quality of training offered or is, according to such an agency or association, making reasonable progress toward accreditation.”

  • For undergraduate and graduate studies at an HBCU
  • Additional applicant eligibility requirements
  • Current or past Lexington resident and/or
  • LPS senior and alumnus

In honor of ABCL Portrait Banner Honorees Bernard W. Harleston (Howard University) and Martin Kilson (Lincoln University) and other Black Lexington residents who are HBCU alumni, including Leroy Keith, Jr. (Moorehouse), Aniece Ragland Kerr (Tuskegee), and Edgar E. Smith (Tougaloo College).

William Childs Curtis STEM Scholarship

Dr. W C Curtis was the Manager, Radar Systems, in Radar Engineering for RCA.  Dr Curtis and his team were responsible for the Lunar Excursion Module rendezvous radar and transponder which were critical to the success of the first moon landing.

  • For undergraduate and graduate studies in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
  • Additional applicant eligibility requirements
  • Current or past Lexington resident and/or
  • LPS senior and alumnus

In honor of ABCL Portrait Banner Honoree William C. Curtis and other Black electrical engineers and computer scientists of Lexington whose research and designs helped the USA win the Space Race and Cold War.  Those EEs and computer programmers include Inez “Bambi” Bellamy Hazel, Thomas H. Kerr III, Charles Martin, and Charles Price.

ABCL is a 501(c)(3) organization. Donations to the ABCL Scholarship Program are tax deductible.  Visit www.abclex.org to donate.

The ABCL Scholarship Program is separate and independent from the METCO College Scholarship Fund of Lexington.  MCSFL is also a 501(c)(3) organization and is governed by a Board of Directors which includes Cecil Cox, who is an ABCL member.  In 1969, Edgar E. Smith and the late Clarence D. Turner Sr., two Black Lexingtonians, and 5 other Lexingtonians founded MCSFL. The late Charlie Martin, a founding member of ABCL, is a MCSFL Emeritus Director.