Mr. Marquise Hunt

Marquise Sterling Hunt , 26, of Portsmouth, Virginia, gracefully ascended to the highest office on January 16,
2025. Marquise was born to Mr. Edrick J. Hunt and Mrs. Christina D. Hunt on July 24, 1998, in Chesapeake,
Virginia; and the eldest sibling to Maiya S. Hunt and Myles S. Hunt. In his impressionable years, Marquise
developed a presence that exuded a spirit of tenacity for equitable causes, a yearning for a more prominent
relationship with God, and dedication to making indelible bonds with his family and friends.

At an incredibly young age, Marquise began attending Zion Bethel United Church of Christ with his
grandparents Mr. and Mrs. Edward W. Hunt Jr. Soon thereafter, becoming the vessel that led his immediate
family to join and become active in the Zion Bethel church ministry. He was a member of the youth choir, The Soldiers praise dance ministry, and served as a youth usher. Marquise was blessed with the gift of song and
often led the youth choir singing “I Need You” by gospel artist, Tye Tribbett. He deeply admired and respected
his spiritual mentors, the late Rev. Dr. D. A. Peace Sr., and First Lady Dora Peace; eventually becoming a
member of their close-knit extended family.

Marquise traversed through private and public educational institutions and graduated from Churchland High School in 2016. Throughout his post-secondary academic years, Marquise’s passion for public speaking and activism sparked a trajectory that was awe inspiring to all that had the pleasure of seeing him spread his wings and fly. While his oratorical prowess commenced as a child in church, it became enriched with his participation in the Area II NAACP ACT-SO, where he competed and won a gold medal in the category of oratory in 2016. Marquise matriculated to Tougaloo College, a renowned HBCU in Jackson, Mississippi majoring in Political Science, where his handsome towering height, well-dressed business attire, and polished delivery quickly gained the admiration and attention of his peer scholars, administrators, and alumni alike.

Marquise’s organizational involvement expanded as he was elected President of the Tougaloo College chapter
of the NAACP and Mississippi State Conference Youth and College Division. He was the first Mississippi Votes
Youth Civic Engagement Coordinator and the first DIA Fellow at Tougaloo College (2018-2019). While serving
in those capacities, Marquise led voter registration drives, workshops, and panel discussions; earning several awards and public acclaim throughout the state and South-Central region. His stern and visionary character, along with his work ethic propelled him to the national level where he served in the Office of Chairman of the NAACP National Youth and College Task Force. Marquise, along with his counterparts, championed effective civic engagement strategies impacting over 25,000 young people across the country.

Following the killing of William Chapman III in Portsmouth, Virginia, Marquise was ignited to get further
involved. Frequently saying “words sound better with actions,” Marquise did just that, ushering in a new era of
dynamic servant leaders. He was active at the marches, community meetings, and trial for the officer
responsible for this citizen’s death; thereby sparking his boots-on-the-ground activism. Marquise connected
with local officials, spoke out valiantly at City Council meetings, and laced up his shoes to demonstrate, even
when the status quo continued to prevail. The knowledge he gained through courses, readings, and sitting at
the feet of countless elders in the movement and beyond helped him to craft his message as a fire for change
continued to swell within him.

Whether Marquise was speaking into a bullhorn or behind a dais, his passion resonated loudly, inspired action, and often drew emotional reactions from the audiences surrounding him. As societal injustices continued to grow, so did Marquise’s zeal for confronting, dialoguing, and insisting on forward progress. When word of white supremacists planning to torment the citizens and visitors of Charlottesville spread, he packed up his belongings and set his eyes on the city to provide support to organizers by adding a powerful voice to the chorus of counter-protestors. To him, this was not a both sides event. Marquise stood tall to defeat hate, be it within the community, boardrooms, or even backrooms. At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, he organized protests in Norfolk to rally against the state-sponsored execution of George Floyd, Jr.

Whether he was confronting the death of 15-year-old Jaheim McMillan, killed by police at a Gulfport,
Mississippi Family Dollar store, or championing the cause of assembly line workers at a Canton, Mississippi
Nissan plant unable to unionize, or bringing the national spotlight to the inhumane conditions suffered by
prisoners at the Mississippi Delta’s infamous Parchman prison; Marquise let his voice of defiance be heard. When Jackson residents toiled without water for weeks, under the threat of boil notices, Marquise was in
action. When Mississippi legislators proposed to strip citizens of voting rights for minor offenses, Marquise was
in action. When a US Senator glorified horrific lynching’s, Marquise was in action. When an Old Dominion University sorority engaged in tasteless racially insensitive behavior, Marquise was in action. Be it where
women were demanding equal rights, or where Black female leadership was being unceremoniously thrust
from power in Portsmouth, or Confederate monuments serving to further deepen racial tensions, or even our
unhoused neighbors in need of warm meals and toiletries, Marquise could always be found in action! These are just a fraction of the causes near and dear to Marquise’s heart. From teenage years to adulthood,
Marquise was a dignified social justice interlocutor – unafraid to stand on the front lines and delighted to offer
comprehensive strategy behind the scenes where even his elders were eager to listen and to follow.

Marquise’s brilliance galvanized him towards the story of 14-year-old Emmett Louis Till who was brutally
tortured and murdered at Sunflower County’s Shurden Plantation in Drew, Mississippi in 1955. The lack of
decades-long accountability compelled Marquise to visit the farm shed where Till was savagely beaten and
shot, the Tallahatchie River where Till’s mutilated body was discovered, and the Tutwiler Funeral Home where
his disfigured body was prepared to be returned to his grieving mother in Chicago. Marquise’s righteous
indignation was shared on social media and gathered over 11 million views. His deep connection to Emmett’s
tragic and untimely demise prompted him to be intimately involved with leading efforts within The Emmett Till Legacy Foundation.

Each of these experiences merged as Marquise served as a young sought-after voice during the 2020 Biden-
Harris Presidential Campaign, a voice featured on MSNBC with The Poor People’s Campaign, an advocate
within the Democratic National Party and Act Blue; partnering with Hollywood elite and countless other media outlets and organizations to make things better than how he found them. Marquise was mentored by, as well as offered counsel to several legislators at the Virginia State Capitol at various points in his career; and served as a trusted advisor to his community as a social media influencer.

Marquise rededicated himself to Christ through water baptism in 2022 at The Life Church in Richmond, and
was indeed the embodiment of Proverbs 18:16; where scripture teaches us that “A man’s gift maketh room for
him; and bringeth him before great men” (KJV). With this divine assignment upon his life, Marquise intertwined
his faith with doing the work of many lifetimes in just 26 years on earth. His earnest and dedicated service in
the various posts and positions that he was blessed to share made his principal even more equipped to
complete the tasks that the constituents desired. From protesting to preparing public policy and everything in
between, he was the most qualified servant leader to complete the functions assigned and we were all
fortunate to behold this favor firsthand.

Despite his interminable connections across the nation, Marquise remained consistent in his love of family. So
much so, that he was an ardent researcher of our family’s history. This fact-finding mission steered him towards the National Archives and Records Administration on numerous occasions to examine the Hunt-
Washington genealogy, thus serving as the family Historian in recent years. Marquise balanced his energetic lifestyle appropriately, and always created memories with relatives and chosen family both near and far; and to that we say amen!

Left to forever cherish his memory and carry on the Marquise S. Hunt legacy include his Parents: Christina D.
Hunt and Edrick J. Hunt, Sister: Maiya S. Hunt; Brother: Myles S. Hunt; Grandparents: Sandra E. Clark,
Edward W. Jr. and Helen C. Hunt; Aunts: Crystal Clark and Elishia Crenshaw (Domonique); Uncle: Edward W.
Hunt III; Great-Aunts: Frances Riddick, Mary Eleanor Jones, Christine Goodner, Georgia Barnes, and Juanita
Redman; Great-Uncles: Herman Grant, Glenn Grant, Thomas Copeland, Marvin D. Hunt, and Dion G. Hunt I;
God-Parents: Melvin and Janina Satterfield; Special “Auntie Squad”: Sherae Harding-Griffin, Devese Peace-
Branch, and Arminta Richardson Harris; God-Siblings, Cousins and a host of extended family and friends. He
also leaves behind his three beloved fur babies; Chestnut, Sir, and Coco. Marquise was preceded in death by his Grandfather, Willie S. Clark.

There are no duplicates. The torch has been passed.
Hi(s)tory is written.
Marquise is now peacefully serving as one of God’s most senior advisors. Well done, thy good and faithful servant!

The Hunt Family invites you to share in celebrating and honoring Marquise’s life at the following events:

Praise and Worship Visitation:
Friday, January 31, 2025
5pm – Viewing
6pm – Celebration in Song
Little Grove Baptist Church
6320 Old Townpoint Road
Suffolk, VA 23435

Celebration of Life:
Saturday, February 1, 2025
11am – Viewing
12noon – Homegoing Service
New Community Temple Church of God in Christ
3615 Tyre Neck Road
Portsmouth, VA 23703
Live-streaming on the NCTCOGIC YouTube Channel

Additional Information:
Requested All White Floral Tributes or Plants
Delivered to:
Steele-Bullock Funeral Home
3950 Turnpike Road
Portsmouth, VA 23701

Visitors Welcome to the Immediate Family Home
Monday, January 27th – Thursday, January 30th
4pm – 8pm Nightly
All other inquires may be sent to: admin@themarquiseshuntlegacyfoundation.org

Professional services are entrusted to:

Steele-Bullock Funeral Home, Portsmouth, VA