Historically Black colleges and universities are pillars of education and success in the African American community, but they often lack the same funding as other institutions.
MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, has decided to use her wealth to pour into HBCUs to ensure their continued success as a part of her pledge to give half or more of her assets to charity in her lifetime.
Scott has donated $1.7 billion of her personal wealth to 116 organizations focused on racial equity, LGBTQ+ equity, functional democracy and climate change.
On Tuesday, July 28, 2020, the leaders of several HBCUs announced that they were beneficiaries of Scott’s generous donation.
Tuskegee, Howard and Hampton universities, Spelman College and Xavier University of Louisiana were among those schools that received a donation.
For some of those institutions, the gift marked the largest single donation in their schools’ history.
Tuskegee University President Lily D. McNair announced that the school received a $20 million gift from Scott, who is a philanthropist, activist and author.
Spelman College shared the news on its Instagram page, thanking Scott and announcing plans for the funds.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CDNZ7oUl1eP/
Continue reading on the next page.
