From Tragedy to Triumph: How NEED Has Changed 48,000 Lives Since 1963

Meet the Host: Dr. Marcia Sturdivant, President and CEO of NEED

From tragedy springs hope. When civil rights icon Medgar Evers was assassinated in 1963, Pittsburgh resident Marion Gordon transformed her grief into action, founding NEED to fulfill Evers' dream of college access for African American students. Nearly six decades later, this remarkable organization has provided over $50 million in scholarships to more than 48,000 students across Western Pennsylvania.

Dr. Marcia Sturdivant, NEED's President and CEO, shares the organization's origin story with passion and purpose. What began with a fundraising dinner that sent 76 students to college has blossomed into an educational cornerstone, celebrated annually at their signature scholarship event where hundreds gather to honor student excellence. Rather than traditional marketing, NEED relies on its sterling reputation and a powerful ambassador program where alumni share personal testimonies about how educational access changed their lives.

The podcast features one such testimony from Lamar Blackwell, now an executive director of an educational nonprofit. Growing up surrounded by poverty and violence, Lamar credits NEED with connecting him to an "ecosystem of success" that revealed possibilities beyond his circumstances. His story exemplifies the organization's profound impact: creating pathways where none existed before.

Dr. Sturdivant's leadership philosophy centers on community responsibility and paying forward the help she once received. "There's no greater feeling than to have someone come to you in need of help and then you're able to see that they have resolved their situations later on," she reflects. Between scholarship work, Dr. Sturdivant enjoys quiet reading, theater, movies, and even thrifting – finding hidden treasures much like she does in the potential of every student NEED supports.

Ready to unlock the power of education? Contact NEED today and become part of a six-decade legacy of transforming lives through educational opportunity. Your support continues the mission that began in response to tragedy but has flourished into a powerful force for positive change.

To learn more about NEED visit:
https://www.NEEDLD.org
NEED
429 Fourth Avenue, 20th FL, Suite 2000
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
412-566-2760

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to the NEED Podcast highlighting students,
partners and advocates Presentedby NEED and hosted by Dr Marcia
Sturtevant, president and CEO.
This series highlights theimpact of mentoring,
philanthropy and collaborativepartnerships that empower
students' triumphant entry into,and progression through higher

(00:22):
education.
Whether you're applying forscholarships or supporting the
mission, you'll find insightsthat inform, inspire and empower
.

Speaker 2 (00:32):
Welcome everyone.
I'm Lila Carter, co-host andproducer here in the studio with
Dr Marcia Sturtevant, presidentand CEO of NEED.
Dr Sturtevant, how's it going?

Speaker 3 (00:48):
It's going great, thank you.

Speaker 2 (00:50):
Over the years you've grown a remarkable following.
However, some listeners mightnot be familiar with your full
journey.
Let's take it from the top.
Could you share a littlebackground about your company
and what you do?

Speaker 3 (01:02):
Could you share a little background about your
company and what you do?
Sure, we began in 1963 as aresult of the unrest that was
occurring across the country atthe time around integrating
colleges and universities.
And a lady from Pittsburgh bythe name of Marion Gordon heard
that Medgar Evers, who is anicon in our history, had been

(01:26):
assassinated and she had workedwith Mr Evers on things such as
education, voting rights andwhat have you.
And the night that he wasassassinated, of course, she was
so distraught she said we'regoing to keep Medgar Evers dream
alive of sendingAfrican-American students to
college.
And that began an advocacygroup here in Pittsburgh and

(01:51):
Mary enjoyed and called everyonethat she could, and people from
all over the country convenedin Pittsburgh and held a dinner
to raise money so that childrencould go on to college.
And during that year of 1963,NEED was able to raise enough
money to send 76 students,aspiring college students, to

(02:15):
college.
And we have continued in thatvein ever since.
We have over 48,000 studentswho have been supported by NEED
and we've given out over $50million in scholarship support
to make college a reality forWestern Pennsylvania students.

Speaker 2 (02:37):
What a remarkable story.
And we know marketing is thekey to any business's success.
How do you market your business?

Speaker 3 (02:46):
Well, luckily for us, the length of time that we have
been around, that we are theicon of scholarships for
minority students, so there'snot a lot of marketing that we
have to do, but as newgenerations come on and keep
coming, of course we continue toadvertise what's available and

(03:07):
our work Yearly.
We have an annual scholarshipdinner that garners about 600
individuals that we gather hereto highlight.
We have a camera of ourstudents that have performed
tremendously, like the best andthe brightest.
We award them scholarships.
It's like our what I would sayour Hollywood Oscar event, where

(03:30):
we pull out the red carpet andhighlight these students.
We also have ambassadors forneed that go out into the
community and speak, need to goout into the community, speak,
and these are alum who go out tothe community and speak to
others about need, as well ashelp us with fundraising for
need and telling our story,which is so very important, and

(03:55):
if you want to hear more aboutour story, we're certainly on
that.
Information is on our website.
So primarily it's word of mouth, which is always great.
We have several events.
I just talked about one of them, the annual need scholarship
dinner, and then we have peoplewho were former recipients that

(04:16):
are our need, ambassadors thathelp highlight, wherever they
are, the work of need.

Speaker 2 (04:23):
Very good.
And when you're not busyrunning your business, what do
you do for fun?

Speaker 3 (04:29):
Oh, okay, fun.
Is that supposed to happen?
Yes, well, I enjoy.
I enjoy this work, so it's not.
It's work, but it's not work.
Because I enjoy seeing youngpeople thrive and get ahead.
But when I'm not here at theoffice, I'm usually quietly
reading a book.
I love the theater and themovie industry, so I'm often at

(04:54):
one of those places where I'mlistening or watching a movie,
analyzing a movie.
You know what else I like?
I like thrifting.
I like to go and just rummagethrough other people's stuff to
see what might be theirsubtreasures and finds.
It's just relaxing to do that.

Speaker 2 (05:15):
Dr Sturdivant, you're a very busy person In your
words.
Why are you doing this?

Speaker 3 (05:25):
Someone helped me and I think we have a
responsibility as a community tohelp others.
Every walk of life you havethat you're in.
We should always try to helpthose who may not have the same
opportunities as yourself, maynot have the same opportunities
as yourself.

(05:45):
I've always worked in nonprofitorganizations.
That service was to help thosewho are challenged, maybe by
poverty, mental health orbehavioral health, maybe
educationally challenged ormarginalized other ways.
But there's no greater feelingthan to have someone come to you

(06:08):
in need of help and then you'reable to see that they have
resolved their situations lateron.
I've had examples of youngpeople that I worked with in a
number of different institutions, I should say, or systems, and
have later found that, oh,they're doing just okay and I

(06:30):
feel that I had a part in that.
And in fact some of them I'veemployed where at one time there
was no hope or sense ofoptimism, and now they're either
employing, you know, with me orsomewhere else, and that's why
I do it.

Speaker 2 (06:46):
Very good, I love that, dr Sturdivant, we'll catch
you in the next episode wherewe'll dive into some frequently
asked questions.
Have a fantastic rest of yourday.

Speaker 1 (07:14):
Thank you so much.
Rest of your day.
Thank you so much.
Email needpgh at gmailcom orcall 412-566-2760.
Need unlocking the power ofeducation for students, families

(07:38):
and the future of our region.

Speaker 4 (07:45):
Hello, my name is Lamar Blackwell.
I currently am an executivedirector of an educational
nonprofit organization, but,more importantly, I am an alum
of the NEED organization.
The NEED organization haschanged my life.
Let me tell you how.
Most executive leaders don'tknow what it's like to wake up

(08:08):
every morning and walk to schooland see their neighbors
self-medicating because they'retrying to escape the social ills
of their environment.
Most executive leaders don'tknow what it's like, as a 13
year old child, to lay downevery night and be scared to
death that a stray bullet mightcome shattering through their
window.
A stray bullet might comeshattering through their window.

(08:29):
Most executive leaders don'tknow what it's like to see some
of their closest friends leadinga life of self-destruction
because they're not connected toan ecosystem of success or an
organization that is investingin their development and in
their education by way of takingthem outside of their
communities to colleges to seeindividuals who look like

(08:50):
themselves succeed on a levelthat many would think to be
unthinkable.
A young African-American malegrowing up in one of the lowest
income environments got a chanceto experience what poverty
looked like and experience whatpossibility looked like, and if
it had not been for the needorganization, I would have never

(09:10):
had that opportunity and wouldhave never changed the
trajectory of my life.