On Friday, June 13, the Michael O.D. Brown We Love Our Sons & Daughters Foundation and Campaign Zero hosted the 2025 Michael O.D. Brown Memorial Scholarship Dinner in St. Louis. The scholarship dinner, now in its second year, honors the life and legacy of Michael Brown by recognizing the brilliance and determination of local students pursuing higher education in the performing arts, social justice, or skilled trades.

This year’s 18 scholarship recipients—graduating seniors from high schools across the St. Louis area—received $3,000 in support of their education. Each recipient represents a future rooted in justice, creativity, and purpose.

The evening featured remarks from MikeMike’s mother Lezley McSpadden-Head, Dr. Kira Banks (Professor of Psychology at Saint Louis University), Evangelist Regina McCurry-Hunt, and Campaign Zero’s DeRay Mckesson and Kelly Davis—each offering messages of encouragement focusing on strength, courage, and wisdom, while also emphasizing the importance of prioritizing mental health alongside their pursuit of academic success and their commitment to building a more just world.

This celebration came just days after the release of Still My Baby, a three-part podcast co-produced by Campaign Zero, Lemonada Media, and McSpadden-Head, and narrated by Yvette Nicole Brown. The series tells Michael’s story through the voices of those who knew and loved him. Together, the podcast and the scholarship are part of a broader effort to preserve and extend Michael’s legacy not just through remembrance but through action. These students now carry that legacy forward with them. We’re proud to stand beside them.

Because honoring Michael means investing in the future he deserved.