About PSV Honors
PSV Honors is the signature fundraising and awareness event for Private School Village — a gathering where vibrant community impact meets celebration; where we center the intersection of educational equity and excellence with parent empowerment and student success and well-being. This first-of-its-kind honors program will spotlight educators, schools, parents, and community leaders advancing equity and belonging for Black and Brown students in private schools.
​
With an anticipated 200+ distinguished guests, the event will honor Desiree and Jerry Lorenzo Manuel, the powerhouse duo behind Fear of God. Together, they have reshaped the cultural landscape through their visionary work—building more than a fashion label, but a movement rooted in identity, faith, and storytelling. Together, they have elevated everyday essentials into symbols of dignity and self-expression, centering Black culture not as a trend, but as a foundation.
​
Beyond clothing, the Manuel’s impact is felt in how they model purpose-driven leadership—prioritizing community, integrity, and cultural ownership. In doing so, they have helped shift the industry toward a more inclusive and meaningful expression of style, where culture leads and legacy matters.
Inspired by the style, flair, and special occasion of Black families who enjoy Sunday brunch, PSV Honors will reflect Black excellence in the private school community — intimate, savvy, and purpose and mission-driven. Guests will leave inspired and proud to be contributing to the growth of The Village and to the next generation of Black and Brown leaders.
Aiming to raise funds for vital programming, including The Village Scholarship, PSV Honors is designed to become the premier philanthropic and educational event — one known for its purpose, prestige, and transformative impact.
​​
PSV Honors: Award Categories
The Village Trailblazer Award – Honors those who blazed the trail for organizations like PSV and supported Black/Brown families before it was a thing; those who came before us or continue to pave the way.
Educator of the Year – Transformative classroom leadership and student advocacy. (Selected from nominations; also virtually offered outside of Los Angeles/Pasadena).
Program of the Year – A school program advancing belonging and inclusion. (Selected from nominations).
Parent Advocate Award – A parent volunteer whose leadership strengthens their school community and the Village.
Volunteer of the Year – A parent volunteer or group of volunteers whose leadership in PSV is admirable and noteworthy
Family Affinity Group of the Year Award – Recognizes the Family Affinity Group that demonstrates a high level of commitment to building a strong affinity program within the school and across PSV.
 |  |  |  |
|---|
About the first PSV Honors in 2023
In November 2023, PSV recognized the first recipients of the community-nominated PSV Honors as part of the annual PSV Sneaker Soiree. The initiative was so well received, we knew we immediately needed a larger space and time to appropriately recognize key members/programs of the PSV community as a separate affair. The honor in 2023 was too abbreviated during the large sneaker function.
​
The first recipients were:
​
Teacher of The Year, Traci Allen!
Traci is a kindergarten teacher at The Wesley School. Traci was nominated by PSV community member Toi Bridges for creating and implementing a social justice curriculum for Wesley’s kindergarten program called the “Social Justice Island” series. Through this program she's taught young students about activism and what it means to be an ally. Last school year, she spearheaded having Civil Rights Activist Ruby Bridges speak with students and faculty to further enforce social justice elements of kindness, love, and equality. Traci has made it a priority to ensure children feel seen, valued, and heard while creating an environment for them to learn and become leaders of change. Please join PSV in congratulating Traci Allen as the PSV Teacher of the Year.
and
​
Parent Program of the Year -- Crossroads School of Arts & Sciences Black Family Alliance's Project X
This honor is in recognition of increasing racial socialization and/or racial literacy -- Project X, a joint initiative between Crossroads parents, faculty and staff, does both.
​​
Project X is a program that addresses hot button topics, supports students and their specific goals, and cultivates an environment where kids of Black/African heritage feel safe. Through Project X participants discuss bullying, recognizing and handling micro-aggressions, how to handle the use of the N-word, racial disparity and discrimination with AI technology, vaping, and more.
​​
Congratulations Crossroads Black Family Alliance for Project X and specifically David Stewart, Latif Bozé, Tene & John Medford, Coco Amany and Head of School Mariama Richards.
​
​
About Our Village Trailblazer Honorees
Jerry Lorenzo is the founder and creative director of Fear of God, a modern American house shaped by proportion, restraint, and spiritual conviction. His work reflects a lifelong dialogue between faith, family, and the cultural language of sport - forming a vision of luxury defined not by excess, but by purpose.
Born to African American parents with Black, Latino, and Native American bloodlines, Lorenzo’s perspective is rooted in heritage and personal identity. After earning an MBA and beginning his professional path in athletics, he founded Fear of God in 2013, approaching design through instinct rather than formal training. What emerged was a new expression of American style - architectural in silhouette, grounded in humility, and enduring in intention.
Under Lorenzo’s direction, Fear of God has evolved into a multidisciplinary creative house, influencing the broader landscape of contemporary fashion and culture. His work has received global recognition,
including design innovation honors from the Wall Street Journal and the Council of Fashion Designers of America, affirming a singular voice shaping the future of American luxury.
​
Together with his wife, Desiree, they define a vision of luxury rooted in purpose—where faith, family, and sport inform a timeless design language. As partners in life and vision, their work positions Fear of God as a cultural expression of authenticity, alignment, and legacy.
​
They reside in Los Angeles with their three children.