RALEIGH, NC / ACCESSWIRE / December 17, 2021 / Jamaal Demetric Pittman, an award-winning screenwriter, and his cousin Linwood E. Hinton have established a scholarship endowment fund in honor of their aunts Annie and Sallie Ann Wheeler.
The fund is known as Annie and Sallie Ann Wheeler Memorial Scholarship Endowment. It will support North Edgecombe High School (NEHS) by providing a scholarship to a graduating senior attending a two- or four-year college or university.
Jamaal was valedictorian of the NEHS class of 1999, and Linwood was an honors student in the 2008 class. The scholarship will be awarded annually. It aims to honor the legacy of the Wheeler sisters and their contributions to the school and provide permanent support to the students to help them attain their academic goals.
Who were Annie and Sallie Ann Wheeler?
Annie and Sallie Ann Wheeler were two African American sisters who inspired their community with their passion for education and helping others. They lived a few miles from North Edgecombe High School, raising three generations of children who grew to become NEHS Warriors.
Annie was a sharecropper, toiling in the tobacco fields, while Sallie Ann spent the better part of her life as a domestic worker despite suffering polio at an early age. Their humble background notwithstanding, the Wheeler sisters were philanthropic and would share whatever they could with others, including food, shelter and emotional support.
While they never received the level of formal education they deserved, Annie and Sallie Ann were passionate about education and committed to ensuring that every child in their family never missed out on it. These God-fearing ladies also ensured that everyone around them understood the significance of hard work, compassion and integrity.
They encouraged their loved ones to push beyond their limits and to never settle for less. Annie died in March 1998, and Sallie Ann died in March 2010. To keep the spirit and legacy of these two great women living in the community, Jamaal and Linwood started the Annie and Sallie Ann Wheeler Memorial Scholarship Endowment in their honor.
Donating to the Annie and Sallie Ann Wheeler Memorial Scholarship Endowment
The Annie and Sallie Ann Wheeler Memorial Scholarship Endowment is under the management of the North Carolina Community Foundation, a nonprofit organization. Individuals who want to donate to the fund can do so through their website or write a check payable to Annie and Sallie Ann Wheeler Memorial Scholarship and mail it to North Carolina Community Foundation, 3737 Glenwood Ave. Suite 460, Raleigh, NC 27612.
About Jamaal Demetric Pittman
Jamaal D. Pittman, the cofounder of Annie and Sallie Ann Wheeler Memorial Scholarship Endowment, is a Los Angeles, California-based screenwriter and copy editor with over 15 years of experience. He was born and bred in Tarboro, North Carolina. He graduated as valedictorian from North Edgecombe High School in 1999 and later graduated with honors from Morehouse College in 2003. His recent professional accomplishments include the screenplays for the feature drama "Long Way Home" and the animated short "Piece of Cake."
For More Information
Anyone looking for more information about Annie and Sallie Ann Wheeler Memorial Scholarship Endowment can check their website,https://wheelerscholarship.com/ or email Jamaal Pittman with general queries: [email protected]. They can also email their endowment and donation-related inquiries to Donor Engagement Officer Meredith Bell at the North Carolina Community Foundation: [email protected].
SOURCE: Jamaal Demetric Pittman