2nd Lt Richard W Collins III Foundation – "The World Will Remember My Name"

On May 20, 2017, a tragedy occurred when 2nd Lieutenant Richard W. Collins, III was fatally stabbed in an apparent hate crime three days before he was set to graduate from Bowie State University. His parents, Richard and Dawn Collins have paid tribute to their son’s legacy through establishing the 2^nd Lt. Richard W. Collins Foundation. It is their hope and prayer that at some point, their heartbreak will transform itself into a state of consciousness that will provide them with a sense of peace. They feel it’s their purpose to stay connected with their son by turning sorrow into an opportunity to bless the lives of others.

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“Mom, The World Will Know My Name!”

-Richard Collins, III

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“I am going to Live Life to the Fullest.”

-Richard Collins, III

We are honored to share this website with you. Following the tragic death of our son, my wife and I decided to establish a foundation to continue his legacy and build a lasting tribute to honor our son’s memory. Our vision for creating our foundation was two-fold. First, we believe that it is important for us to make sure that our son’s life is given purpose even though he can no longer be present with us physically. While the pain of no longer being able to speak with him or hear his voice is at times overwhelming, the work involved in continuing his legacy through our foundation provides us with some measure of comfort.

Secondly, we intend to use our foundation as a vehicle of change through which private citizens are educated of their civic empowerment under the law in the communities where they live. It is intended to raise individual awareness of the civic duty of all of us to acquire and act upon the knowledge of the law regarding individual rights and protections. In addition, we must hold our elected officials and civic institutions accountable to ensure that the law protect, respect, and value the right to life of all citizens. -Richard Collins, Jr.

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Maryland Legislature | Collins’ Law Testimony

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05.20.20

On this anniversary of our son’s murder, we reflect back on the past three years. The tragedy that affected our family is not an isolated incident. So many innocent lives have been lost due to messaging and actions promoting hatred, extremism, and violence. In memory of our son, 2nd Lt. Richard W. Collins III, we celebrate the Maryland law recently passed in his name, which equips the State’s Prosecutors with the appropriate legal tools to achieve a conviction of perpetrators of hate crimes. We are committed to the effort of pursuing the passage of similar legislation nationally. Our goals for 2020 also include advocacy for empowering institutions of higher learning to advance civic education of the danger posed to society through affiliation with hate organizations.

RCF Stands with All Who March for Racial Justice

George Floyd Protest | Baltimore I-83 North | 06.01.20

Rep. Steny Hoyer

Sen. Chris Van Hollen

Sen. Ben Cardin

Rep. Anthony Brown

Hoyer, Van Hollen, Cardin, Brown Secure Provision for Family of Slain ROTC Graduate 2nd Lt Richard Collins III in House and Senate NDAA

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05), Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-MD), and Congressman Anthony G. Brown (MD04) announced that they have secured provisions within the Senate and House Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to provide the family of slain ROTC Graduate Richard W. Collins III with the benefits they’re owed following his death. The amendments were introduced by Senator Van Hollen and Congressman Brown and cosponsored by Senator Cardin and Congressman Hoyer and are expected to pass alongside the full NDAA when the Senate and House come back into session later this month.

On May 20, 2017, Richard W. Collins III, a Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) graduate of Bowie State University who had been commissioned into the U.S. Army, was murdered just days before he was scheduled to go on active duty. Following Lt. Collins’ tragic death, the Collins family has faced difficulty in receiving the recognition and benefits Lt. Collins and his family would have received had he been on active duty.

Last year, both the House and Senate passed legislation introduced by the Members to ensure that an ROTC graduate who dies between commissioning and their first assignment is treated as having served in the military for the purpose of death benefits. Unfortunately, the bill as-adopted applied only to future cases. The amendments secured by the Members in this year’s NDAA will ensure that the Collins family receives the benefits of this legislation.

“Nothing can bring back Lt. Richard Collins or make sense of his horrific murder, but I hope this small action will bring some relief to the Collins family,” said Congressman Hoyer. “I appreciate the hard work of my colleagues to secure the benefits due to the Collins family.”

“Lt. Richard Collins’ tragic death was made even more painful for his family through the challenges they faced in receiving the proper benefits and recognition for Lt. Collins,” said Senator Van Hollen. “Nothing will ever fill the void of their loss, but I’m hopeful this provision brings the Collins family some peace of mind.”

“Lt. Richard Collins’ family will finally receive the much-deserved recognition of their son’s commitment and dedication to the Army and serving our nation,” said Senator Cardin. “While we pray no family has to endure the loss experienced by the Collins family, we hope this will set a precedent for the future.”

“We must ensure that what happened to Lt. Collins’s family does not occur again to another service member’s loved ones,” said Congressman Brown. “Let us not take for granted the preparation, training, commitment, and service that ROTC graduates pledged to the American people but honor their memory and support their loved ones.”

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Why Our Sponsors Give

Every young person deserves the opportunity to maximize their potential. Sadly, Richard no longer has that opportunity. I feel compelled to help ease the financial burden some ROTC students feel while pursuing their dreams, and at the same time support Maryland’s HBCU’s.

Kevin DuncanK Duncan & Company – K Duncan & Company

Representation matters. African-Americans in the military officer ranks are also important for us when those career officers retire and impart those leadership skills in our community. I am happy to contribute to the scholarship fund financially, and help the Collins family in whatever way I can.

Vicky OremA Healing Leaf, LLC – Livasis

As the wife of a career military officer I know first hand the value of military service. ROTC students deserve every helping hand we can provide, especially since their hard work, and many times HARD TIMES go unnoticed. I intend to contribute yearly to this scholarship fund.

Denese PowellPowell Consulting Group – Powell Consulting Group

The communities my business serves are in many cases African-American. I can think of no better way to give back to those communities than to contribute to a scholarship fund that directly benefits the youth growing up where I do business.

Fred LewisThe Dominion Group – Dominion Properties

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