Page 17 - Florida Sentinel 8-7-20

HBCU
Billionaire Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott Gives Estimated $160 Million To HBCUs, Organizations
Humanitarian MacKenzie Scott announced Tuesday (July 28) more than $1.7 billion in philanthropic giv- ing to 116 institutions. An estimated $160 million of that giving is believed to have been given to several histori- cally black institutions and two HBCU advocacy organizations.
The Thurgood Marshall Col- lege Fund, United Negro College Fund, Hampton Univer- sity, Howard University, More- house College, Spelman College, Tuskegee University, and Xavier University of Louisiana, each announced “trans- formational gifts” with Tuskegee and Xavier officials citing gifts of $20 mil- lion.
For several of the schools, the gifts are the largest in their respective his- tories.
MACKENZIE SCOTT ....Philanthropist gives to HBCUs
“This pure act of benevolence is clearly a game-changer and it could not have come at a better time,” said Hampton President William R. Harvey. “I speak for the entire
Hampton University community when I say we are grateful to Ms. MacKenzie Scott, who has chosen to support us during this unprece- dented period of uncertainty.”
“I would like to thank Ms. Mackenzie Scott for her invest- ment into Howard University and our 153-year mission of serving a diverse community of dynamic scholars who come here for an education and leave here with purpose to serve the world,” said Howard President Wayne A. I. Frederick. “We plan to immediately put this eight-figure gift to good use to support components of our 5-year strategic plan to help students gradu- ate on time, retain our talented fac- ulty, enhance our campus infrastructure and support academic innovation and entrepreneurship.”
The gifts are also believed to be
the largest private donation from a single donor to the historically black college and university sector in U. S. history, and each unrestricted gift has been paid in full to each institution.
Scott said that each of the organ- izations received support due to sus- tained leadership, and cultural impact.
“Every one of them is tackling complex challenges that will require sustained effort over many years, while simultaneously addressing con- sequences of the COVID-19 pan- demic. And every one of them would benefit from more allies looking to share wealth of all types and sizes, in- cluding money, volunteer time, sup- plies, advocacy, publicity, networks and relationships, collaboration, en- couragement, and trust,” Scott said.
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