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The Elmore Bolling Initiative announced Koliah Blackmon, a graduating senior from Central High School in Hayneville, as the recipient of the 2025 Elmore Bolling Initiative Scholarship for $2,000.

Blackmon was selected from a competitive pool of applicants due to her exceptional academic record, community service and profound understanding of Elmore Bolling’s legacy. With a 3.9 grade point average (GPA), over 400 hours of community service and active involvement in extracurricular activities such as the cheerleading squad, book club and SkillsUSA, she exemplifies the leadership and dedication skills to community that this scholarship seeks to honor.

In her powerful essay, Koliah wrote:

“Elmore Bolling’s life and legacy inspire me to work hard to make a difference in the world just as he did in Lowndes County. Elmore Bolling fought to improve the lives of the African American people in his community during a time of struggle. He overcame several obstacles, such as racial and financial ones, to establish a successful company and provide important aid to his community. 

“Like Elmore, I want to make it my life’s work to help people, especially those who might be neglected or underprivileged, by giving them access to healthcare.”

Blackmon plans to attend the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) this fall, where she will pursue a career in healthcare to address disparities in access and outcomes for underserved communities.

Josephine Bolling-McCall, founder of the Elmore Bolling Initiative and daughter of Elmore Bolling, expressed her admiration for Blackmon’s vision.

“Koliah Blackmon represents everything my father stood for — determination, service and a commitment to justice,” McCall said. “Her drive to provide healthcare to marginalized communities is exactly the kind of future leadership in which we want to invest. My father believed in lifting others as he climbed, and it is clear Koliah is already doing the same.”

The Elmore Bolling Initiative Scholarship was established to honor the legacy of Elmore Bolling, a successful businessman, civic leader and humanitarian who was tragically lynched in 1947 for daring to empower his community during the Jim Crow era. The scholarship supports students who demonstrate academic excellence and a commitment to social change.