COLUMBIA, SC, November 24, 2025 – The Benedict College Director of Bands Dr. Brendan Johnson has been selected as the Southern Division recipient of the prestigious 2025-26 Dr. William P. Foster Project Community Development Award.
The Dr. William P. Foster Project is a national collaboration of the Music Education Alliance, comprised of Music for All, the National Band Association, and the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA). The initiative supports band directors who work in underserved and under-resourced communities, promoting access to high-quality music education and community engagement through the performing arts.
The recognition is based on Johnson’s work as the band director at Darlington High School.
Johnson says, “I am truly honored to receive the William P. Foster Award. Dr. Foster’s legacy represents excellence, innovation, and a deep commitment to uplifting communities through music education. To be recognized in his name is both humbling and inspiring, and I am grateful for the opportunity to continue this work that transforms students’ lives.”
Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Janeen Witty shares “Since arriving at Benedict in June, we have witnessed Dr. Johnson’s commitment to excellence that has been on full display as he provides students with opportunities to fulfill their greatest potential. He has already proven to be an outstanding addition to our faculty, and we applaud him on receiving this latest achievement.”
Johnson will be recognized during the 2025 Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, in December.
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About Benedict College (www.benedict.edu)
Founded in 1870 by a woman, Bathsheba A. Benedict, Benedict College is a private co-educational liberal arts institution offering 29 competitive baccalaureate degree programs and two master’s degree programs. The Midlands HBCU welcomes students from severalcounties in South Carolina, states across America, and countries around the world. The College also has a diverse faculty deeply engaged in teaching, research, and service.
Benedict College has been highly regarded and exceptionally ranked for its programs by several academic and traditional publications. Benedict College is the recipient of the 2024 UNCF Institutional Excellence Award given by UNCF’s Institute for Capacity Building Program in celebration of an HBCU that achieved next-level performance. Benedict was also named HBCU of the Year by HBCU Digest and voted the number one Gold Winner in The States’ BEST College or University in 2025.
Benedict College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate and master’s degrees. Five of the College’s degree programs hold national accreditation: Social Work Program, Environmental Health Science Program, Environmental Engineering, Studio Art, and the Tyrone Adam Burroughs School of Business and Entrepreneurship.