Each Eighteen Under 18 award is named in honor of influential Black women from history—especially those connected to historic communities like Weeksville—as well as trailblazing Black and Brown women making an impact today. These namesakes serve as a powerful reminder of the legacy of excellence, resilience, and leadership that continues to inspire future generations. Honoree Categories:
Dr. Marguerite Thompson Community Impact Award
Dr. Marguerite Cassanave Thompson is an educator and community organizer that utilized her platform to encourage students to live conscious and courageous lives. This award is given to a student who shows great promise in investing and nurturing the lives of those around her.
Dr. Joan Maynard Outstanding Leadership Award
The New York Times once referred to Dr. Joan Maynard as the guardian angel of The Weeksville Society. This award is given in grateful recognition to a student who exemplifies strong leadership skills in the likeness of Dr. Joan Maynard.
Dr. Susan Smith McKinney Steward STEM Award
Dr. Susan Smith McKinney Steward was the first African American woman to earn a medical doctorate (M.D.) in New York State and the third in the United States. This award is given to a student who exemplifies a promising career in a STEAM field.
Mrs. Harriet Etta Lane Communications Award
Mrs. Harriet Etta Lane was a resident of Weeksville who shared an oral history of Weeksville where she was born and raised. This award is given in recognition of a student who has used her communication skills to solidify a legacy of black excellence.
Shawne’ Lee Circle of Excellence Award
Shawne’ Lee is a famed dancer and community activist. Since the passing of her mother, community activist Joy Chatel, Shawne' dedicated her time to pursuing Ms. Chatel's vision of transforming her home, which was once a safe house for the underground railroad into a museum heritage center. This award is given to a student who much like Shawne' showed great bravery and a relentless effort to preserve and unify her community through fierce and compassionate leadership.
The Jordan Casteel Emerging Artist Award
Jordan Casteel has rooted her practice in community engagement, painting from her own photographs of people she encounters. Posing her subjects within their natural environments, her nearly life-size portraits and cropped compositions chronicle personal observations of the human experience.
Jordan’s love for her community transcends her colorful canvases and manifests into beautifully curated universes where people of color are not only seen but heard, valued, and deeply appreciated. This award is presented to a student who, like Jordan, possesses the power to breathe life into her community through visual art, thought, and action.
The Anne Spencer Literary Arts Award
Introduced in 2022 through our collaboration with the Washington @dcpublicschools System's "We The Girls" program. The award is named after Anne Spencer, a poet, teacher, civil rights activist, librarian, and gardener. She was a prominent figure of the Harlem Renaissance, also known as the New Negro Movement, despite living in Virginia for most of her life, far from the center of the movement in New York.
Pinnacle of Student Success Award(s)
Given to recognize outstanding achievements by students who have participated in Dinner Table programming since their freshman year of high school and are now graduating seniors.