Virginia State University has adopted the motto  “Greater Happens Here.” VSU has been producing greatness since its founding in 1882. Here is a list of five notable alumni who uphold that standard.

Reginald F. Lewis

Reginald F. Lewis entered Virginia State on a football scholarship in 1961. Unfortunately, due to an injury his time on the team was cut short. Since he was no longer able to play football, Lewis dedicated his time to work and his studies. During his time on campus, Lewis joined Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. After graduating from VSU with a degree in economics in 1965, Lewis went on to earn his J. D. from Harvard Law in 1968. During this time Lewis was the only person in the 148-year history of the university to be admitted before applying.

After graduating from Harvard Law, Lewis moved to New York to practice corporate law. He along with a few others set up Wall Street’s first African- American law firm. Lewis made history in 1987 when he bought Beatrice International Foods for $985 million, later renaming it TLC Beatrice International Holdings Inc. That same year the company reported revenue of $ 1.8 billion making it the first Black-owned company to have more than $1 billion in annual sales.

By 1993, Lewis had made Forbes list as one of the richest Americans with an estimated net worth of $ 400 million.

Lewis passed away in 1993 after a battle with brain cancer. His legacy continues to live on as the Reginald F. Lewis School of Business at VSU is named in his honor. In 2005, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture opened in his hometown of Baltimore. Maryland.

Lucy McBath

Lucia (Lucy) McBath was born June 1, 1960, in Joliet, Illinois. McBath is a member of the U. S House of Representatives representing Georgia’s 6th congressional district from 2019-2023 and the neighboring 7th district since 2023. McBath graduated from VSU with a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1982. After graduation, she worked as an intern for former Virginia governor Douglas Wilder (fun fact: there is a building named after Wilder on VSU’s campus). Then in the 1990’s she relocated to Atlanta to work as a flight attendant for Delta Airlines.

Unfortunately, we were introduced to McBath in 2012 when her son Jordan McBath was murdered at a gas station in Jacksonville, Florida. After her son’s tragic death, this prompted McBath to get involved in politics to prevent other tragedies like this from happening. Following Jordan’s death McBath joined Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America as a national spokeswoman. She also joined several gun control advocacy groups. In 2018, she beat Karen Handel for the Georgia 6th district seat in the House of Representatives. McBath has co-sponsored numerous pieces of legislation to prevent gun violence.

Ray “Misster Ray” Cummings

Ray “Misster Ray” Cummings is an award-winning producer, host, author, actor, and TV personality. He is also a two-time graduate of VSU, he graduated with his bachelor’s degree in mass communications in 2006 and again in 2022 with his master’s in media management. We first met Misster Ray in 2006 during his time on season three of BET’s College Hill, a television show that followed the lives of students at HBCUs. He is recognized as BET’s first openly gay on-air talent.

Ray has come a long way since his College Hill days. Since his first graduation from VSU, he has made a name for himself in the world of reality TV. He joined the cast of VH1 Love and Hip-Hop: Hollywood in season four and was a supporting cast member for the following two seasons. Since departure from Love and Hip-Hop Ray has taken the media industry by storm. In 2018, he hosted WEtv’s first digital talk show series 100 & Real with Misster Ray on YouTube while also being awarded as the creator of WEtv’s longest-running digital series, Reality Wrap which aired from 2013 to 2018. Throughout his career, Ray has hosted and appeared on numerous TV specials including TV One’s News One Now with Roland Martin and the recent reboot of BET’s College Hill: Celebrity Edition.

Misster Ray has a mile-long resume with a media career lasting almost 20 years. In 2021, he added an award-winning author to that list with his memoir, Mess with a Message.

Dr. William R. Harvey

We love an HBCU crossover! Dr. William R. Harvey the longest-serving president of Hampton University is an alumnus of VSU. Dr. Harvey was born on January 29, 1941, in Brewton, Alabama. His academic journey began at Talladega College where he received his bachelor’s in history in 1961. Before continuing his education Dr. Harvey served three years on active duty in the United States Army from 1962-1965. Dr. Harvey continued his education at Virginia State College (now known as Virginia State University) graduating with his master’s in 1966. He earned a doctorate in administration of higher education from Harvard University in 1971. Before becoming president at Hampton University, Dr. Harvey served in various leadership roles at several institutions including Fisk University and the Tuskegee Institute

In July 1978, Dr. Harvey was appointed as the twelfth president of Hampton University. He is the longest-serving president in the university’s history. This isn’t the first time that Dr. Harvey has made history. In 1986, became the first African-American owner in the soft drink bottling industry after he and his wife, Norma Baker Harvey, purchased a Pepsi-Cola Bottling franchise together.

In December 2020, Dr. Harvey announced his plans to retire as president of Hampton University by June 2022. After serving almost 44 consecutive years as president, Dr. Harvey retired on June 30, 2022.

Deshauna Barber

Our favorite beauty queen, Deshauna Barber, is a proud alumna of Virginia State University. She graduated from VSU in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in business management. During her time at VSU she joined Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. and was heavily involved in the university’s ROTC program. After graduating in 2011, Barber was commissioned and assigned as a quartermaster officer. She then became a logistics commander and worked as an IT analyst for the U.S Department of Commerce. Barber also holds degrees from the University of Maryland University College and an honorary doctorate in leadership from Norwich University.

Barber was crowned Miss District of Columbia USA in December 2015. The following year she won the title of Miss USA beating out first runner-up Miss Hawaii and second runner-up Miss Georgia. She was the third Miss District of Columbia to win the title and the first Black woman to win the title since 2008. Barber is the first member of the military to hold the Miss USA title, she expressed wanting to use her platform to promote veterans' issues.

Barber has continued to be the embodiment of #BlackGirlMagic since the end of her reign in 2017. Since then, she has become a motivational speaker, published author, and CEO. Inspired by Virginia Union’s own Iyanla Vanzant, Barber is a top requested motivational speaker. She uses her platform to help others through tragedies such as sexual abuse, bullying, and grief. In September, she released her self-help book “Pretty Ugly Lessons”, a self-help book that provides stories, lessons, and strategies to overcome adversity.  Last but certainly not least, Barber is Vice Chair of Service Women ‘s Action Network (SWAN) a nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating for all service women and women veterans in the US.