UNCF Hosts Star Studded Masked Ball

United Negro College Fund Los Angeles welcomed more than 450 corporate partners, educators, faith leaders and community influencers to the 2026 Masked Ball at the Skirball Cultural Center, raising $320,000 in support of scholarships and programs that help students get to and through college.

Hosted by actress Dawnn Lewis and KTLA’s Melvin Robert

Celebrity and distinguished guests included Anthony Anderson, Rocsi Diaz, Anderson. Paak, Mario, Demetria McKinney, and more

2026 Masked Ball Honorees

The evening recognized leaders whose impact spans culture, business, healthcare and philanthropy:

• Anderson .Paak, Grammy Award-Winning Artist and Producer
• Tabitha Brown and Chance Brown, Founders of Tab+Chance
• Valeisha Butterfield, Founder of SEED Media and Global State of Women
• Greg Dulan, Owner of Dulan’s on Crenshaw
• Michelle Gaskill-Hames, President of Kaiser Permanente Southern California & Hawaii
• Billy Mitchell, Jazz Musician and Producer

In heartfelt acceptance remarks, honorees reflected on the power of education and collective responsibility.

Anderson .Paak shared:

“To be standing here tonight being honored by the United Negro College Fund, an institution that has opened doors, built futures, and changed the trajectory of generations is something I don’t take lightly. I want to say thank you for seeing value in the work that I do and for welcoming me into a legacy of change makers.

UNCF, you continue to open otherwise closed doors and invest in the future of our youth. Your mission and work remind us all of our responsibility and inspire me to give back. Thank you for your commitment to keeping the doors of some of the most prestigious colleges and universities in the country open and accessible for our youth

Tabitha and Chance Brown reflected:

“We’re from Eden, North Carolina, and neither of us graduated from college. So when we were told we’d be honored, we looked at each other and said, ‘They know we didn’t graduate, right?’ But what we’ve learned is that even if you don’t hold a certain title, you still hold a position in this world. The work you do just by showing up — for children, for family, for your community — it matters. If you don’t have money, you always have time, and sometimes that’s enough to change a life. 

We’re grateful to the United Negro College Fund for seeing us, and we promise to keep leading by example, pouring into the next generation, and sending some good kids to these HBCUs. And remember — even if you can’t have a good day, don’t you dare mess up nobody else’s.”