Page 13 - mlk 2023 booklet_no program_V2.pdf

Wintley Augustus Phipps

US Dream Academy, Inc.

Wintley Augustus Phipps was born in Trinidad, West Indies and raised in
Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He attended Kingsway College, a Christian
Academy; Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama where he received a
Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theology; and earned a Masters of Divinity
Degree from Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan.
Mr. Phipps is married to the lovely Linda Diane Galloway Phipps (an
RN) and they have been blessed with three fine adult sons: Wintley
Augustus, II, Winston Adriel and Wade Alexander.

Wintley Phipps is a world-renowned vocal artist, pastor, motivational
speaker and education activist. He is the Founder, President and Chief
Executive Officer of the U.S. Dream Academy, Inc., a non-profit, national
after-school program that provides mentoring and tutoring around the
country to children of incarcerated parents and children falling behind
in school. Founded in 1998, this organization has grown from one
center in Washington D.C . to seven cities across this nation and has
served over 10,000 young people living in neighborhoods harmed by
high rates of incarceration. The weekday program offers skill-building,
character-building and dream-building activities in a safe after-
school environment utilizing both one-to-one mentoring as well as state of the art technology to deliver online academic
enrichment.

For his work at the U.S. Dream Academy Mr. Phipps has received numerous service awards. Among them: The Excellence in
Mentoring for Program Leadership Award from MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership; the Oprah Winfrey Angel Network
Use Your Life Award; Promise Hero Award from America’s Promise; the Philanthropist of the Year Award from The National
Center for Black Philanthropy, Inc.; 2019 AARP Purpose Prize; and the Distinguished Service Award from Loma Linda
University. In recognition of his positive global impact through speaking, The National Speakers Association awarded Wintley
the prestigious Master of Influence Award.

Mr. Phipps has been the featured speaker and performer for many notable occasions around the world. In 2021, the family of
General Colin Powell requested Wintley to sing “How Great Thou Art” for the former Secretary of State’s funeral that was held
in the Washington National Cathedral. In 2020 on Capitol Hill in the Rotunda, America honored civil rights icon Congressman
John Robert Lewis was honored where Wintley served as soloist sang “Amazing Grace” and “It is Well,”. In 2009 and 2013,
Mr. Phipps was privileged to serve as the guest soloist for the Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service of President Barack
Obama at the Washington National Cathedral. In 2007 Mr. Phipps delivered an inspirational address and prayer for the
opening of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa. Wintley has sung for Presidents Ronald Reagan,
George H.W. Bush, William Jefferson Clinton, and George W. Bush at the annual National Presidential Prayer Breakfast events
and other distinguished celebrations. He met President Nelson Mandela of South Africa; performed for the 2005 inaugural
swearing-in ceremony of President George W. Bush and shared the song “Heal Our Land” composed by Senator Orrin Hatch;
the 1984 and 1988 National Democratic Conventions; the Boston Pops; the Congressional Gold Medal Ceremonies in the White
House for Mother Teresa of Calcutta and The Little Rock Nine; the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., TV special; 13th and 14th annual
European Prayer Breakfast in Brussels hosted by the European Parliament; the Salvation Army; the Billy Graham Crusades;
the Urban League; the Vatican where he met Pope John Paul II; the Rosa Parks Birthday Celebration; and Loma Linda
University Centennial Celebration. He has also conducted lectures in Europe, Australia, Asia, Africa and North and South
America. Mr. Phipps has performed on Saturday Night Live and been the special guest on the Emmy award-winning series
Super Soul Sunday on the Oprah Winfrey Network. Mr. Phipps was nominated for Grammy Awards in 1988 and 1989. He is the
author of “The Power of a Dream” (1996) and “Your Best Destiny” (2015). Phipps has attracted an entire new generation of
fans as his performance of “Amazing Grace” has received over twenty million cumulative viewers on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMF_24cQqT0.

38th Annual MLK Day of Celebration • 13