Mother launches $50,000 VCU scholarship in son’s name

Dr. D. Pulane Lucas is creating a $50,000 endowed scholarship at Virginia Commonwealth University in memory of her son, Stanley Wilson Jr., on what would have been his 44th birthday. The fund is designed to support criminal justice students, with preference for those affected by incarceration, and extends Lucas’ work on accountability and public policy.

Why it matters: - The Stanley Wilson Jr. Scholarship Fund will help train future criminal justice leaders. - The endowed fund gives special consideration to students whose lives have been affected by incarceration. - The gift turns a family loss into support for education, leadership and public service.

What happened: - Dr. D. Pulane Lucas announced a $50,000 gift to establish the Stanley Wilson Jr. Scholarship Fund in Criminal Justice on Nov. 5, 2026, which would have been Stanley Wilson Jr.’s 44th birthday. - The scholarship is being created through the Virginia Commonwealth University Foundation on behalf of the VCU L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs. - The gift will be paid over five years. - The agreement calls for a permanent endowed fund for students studying criminal justice.

The details: - The fund will support students pursuing criminal justice studies at VCU. - Preference will go to students affected by incarceration. - Lucas said the scholarship is meant to turn Stanley Wilson Jr.’s experience into opportunities for students and future criminal justice leaders. - Stanley Wilson Jr. was born Nov. 5, 1982. - He attended Stanford University and earned a bachelor’s degree in urban studies. - He was a track and football athlete and a student government leader at Stanford. - He later played cornerback for the Detroit Lions. - He completed the NFL Business Management and Entrepreneurial Program at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. - He also earned a nursing degree from Hunter College. - Stanley Wilson Sr., Stanley Wilson Jr.’s father, was a former NFL player for the Cincinnati Bengals and served time in prison. - Wilson Jr. became a mentor to young people with incarcerated parents, according to reporting by the Los Angeles Times. - Lucas said Stanley Wilson Jr. understood that incarceration affects children, parents, spouses, siblings and entire communities.

Between the lines: - The scholarship reflects Lucas’ effort to convert grief, advocacy and research into a lasting public purpose. - Lucas has focused much of her scholarly, nonprofit and public policy work on criminal justice, correctional systems, deaths in custody, accountability and families affected by incarceration. - Through Policy Pathways, Inc., the Richmond-based nonprofit she founded, Lucas works to prepare young people for leadership in public policy, public administration and related fields. - The scholarship extends that mission into higher education and criminal justice training. - Lucas is also using the birthday announcement to shift attention from Stanley Wilson Jr.’s death to his life, education and leadership. - Stanley Wilson Jr. died Feb. 1, 2023, at age 40 while being transported from Los Angeles County’s Twin Towers Correctional Facility to Metropolitan State Hospital in Norwalk for psychiatric treatment. - He was posthumously diagnosed with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, a neurodegenerative brain disease linked to repeated head impacts. - Lucas continues to seek answers about his in-custody death and has raised questions about what happened during the transfer. - A February 2024 Los Angeles Times investigation by Steve Henson reported that the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the California Department of State Hospitals did not assume custodial responsibility for his body after he died or take accountability for investigating or publicly reporting his death. - The Times described the family’s experience as part of a broader national problem involving transparency and accountability in deaths in custody.

What’s next: - Lucas hopes individuals, families, alumni, organizations and institutions will help build the fund and expand its reach. - More gifts could increase support for students entering criminal justice fields, especially those impacted by incarceration. - Donations can be made through the VCU Wilder School gift page or via the shortened link make a contribution. - Prospective donors can also contact Stevan Dozier, senior director of development at the VCU L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, at (919) 961-2528 or doziers2@vcu.edu.

The bottom line: - Lucas is turning a painful family history into a permanent scholarship aimed at broadening opportunity and shaping the next generation of criminal justice professionals.