Brandon Jackson Memorial Event Expands To Aid Fire Victims

The 11th Annual Brandon Jackson Memorial Scholarship and Basketball Classic will take place on May 3, 2025, at John Muir High School in Pasadena. The event, which honors the legacy of Brandon Jackson, a John Muir High School student and football player who was shot and killed in 2011 in Altadena, has expanded its mission this year to include fundraising for victims of the Eaton Canyon Fire.

“The mission has evolved because initially it started out as myself being a grieving coach and mentor for Brandon Jackson,” said David Williams, Executive Director of Empower U, which organizes the event. “I initially just wanted to honor him for young man that had overcome so many obstacles to finally achieve the opportunity to be able to attend college.”

Since its founding in 2011, the scholarship fund has awarded over $156,000 to 79 students from low-income backgrounds. The program took a three-year hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic but has otherwise been held annually.

Williams recently established Empower U as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization to broaden the scope of services offered. “The whole idea of establishing a 501 and under the name of Empower U was to empower students, but then also to empower those that are in our community that also have to overcome obstacles,” Williams explained.

The decision to include support for Eaton Canyon Fire victims came from Williams’ personal connection to the issue.

“I was impacted by fires myself along with my two daughters, so who lost everything,” he said. “I’ve been a longstanding member of this community for many, many years, and I just felt like beside doing a scholarship that we wanted to get more support in, many different in other ways.”

Among the scholarship recipients who have benefited from the program is Jared Norsworthy, one of the first two award winners. Williams, who coached basketball for 15 years, recalls noticing Norsworthy while he was playing in a middle school league with Williams’ son.

“After graduating from high school, went on to get a degree in civil engineering from Howard University,” Williams said of Norsworthy, who was raised in a single-parent home. “From that point, he went on to further his education and got a master’s degree from Boston University, and now he’s working in that field and involved his career, and he’s a family man now.” Williams noted that Norsworthy “comes back to help every year with the Brandon Jackson Rewarding Scholarship and Basketball Classic” and is “paying it forward.”

Another recipient, Jean, graduated from California Lutheran University with a degree in environmental science and later earned a master’s in wildlife management from Oregon State University. She currently works as an environmental consultant managing a team that provides advice on fire damage and environmental issues. Williams highlighted the relevance of her work “because of the fire that’s going on,” making her expertise particularly valuable at this time.

The program has relied on community partnerships for its success, with the California Endowment being one of its biggest supporters. First Presbyterian Church of Altadena, where Williams’ wife once served as associate pastor, has been the longest-standing partner. Montrose Church, which Williams currently attends and where his daughter serves as Youth Head of Ministries, has become a newer partner. Williams noted that they “haven’t been the beneficiaries of any kind of grants” and have been “knocking on doors and relying on relationships” for fundraising.

Williams believes that events like the Brandon Jackson Memorial Scholarship and Basketball Classic play a crucial role in promoting positive community change. He noted that Pasadena’s Gang Violence Prevention Program has helped reduce shootings citywide from 31 in 2021 to just six in 2024.

“I wanted to be a solution, help to be a solution to the problem and try to bring a community together that was grieving,” Williams said. “We feel like we do bring the community together, create love for one another, and also just send the message to the students that there’s hope and that they’re loved and they’re supported also.”

The all-day event on May 3 will run from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at John Muir High School Auditorium, located at 1905 Lincoln Ave., Pasadena. Williams mentioned that attendees often describe the event as feeling like “a reunion of sorts,” highlighting its community-building aspect. More information can be found at www.bjscholarship.org or by calling 615-438-8475. Written inquiries can be sent to P.O. Box 5341, Pasadena, CA 91107.

Williams emphasized the importance of community support for young people facing obstacles.

“There are a lot of kids like Brandon Jackson who had to overcome obstacles… especially for kids of color,” he said. “We just all need to band together and realize that and try to become more supportive. Try to support the nonprofit organizations that are trying to help and assist these kids and their educational adventures and just to bring about the support that they need so they can continue on and just do great things and come back and just pay it forward in their community.”