These Celebrities Are Helping HBCU Students In Their Own Way

Racial disparities and injustices are at the forefront of discussion in America. Not only are more people talking about these issues, but they're also speaking about solutions and helping existing institutions that service Black communities, such historically Black colleges and universities. Some high-profile figures have come forward and offered their support to these schools, whether it's voting or monetary donations.

Here are the celebrities and athletes who are doing their part to assist students who attend HBCUs.

Charlamagne Tha God

Charlamagne Tha God started the Ford Family Endowed Scholarship back in October 2019 at South Carolina State University. He is one of the hosts of The Breakfast Club on Power 105.1 FM, a nationally-syndicated morning radio show on the New York hip-hop station. Charlamagne said he named the fund after his mother's maiden name and grandmother's last name. "We will be providing scholarships to black women in South Carolina who major in English, (my mother’s major) Communications, (because I’m a Radio/TV Guy), and for any sister that wants to be a mental health professional," he told The State.

Travis Scott

Rapper Travis Scott went on Twitter this month said he was paying a semester's worth of tuition for five lucky HBCU students. The rapper noted that both his parents attended HBCUs, and so far, has selected Morehouse College freshman Nasire Branch and Howard University student Taylor Ivy. In response to Branch's post, Scott said his mother always wanted to send him there. He has not retweeted or announced any more lucky students as of October 7.

Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey has quite the history of generous giving, and HBCUs have been no stranger to her kindness. She has previously given million-dollar donations to Morehouse College and Spelman College. This year, she pledged $2 million to Tennessee State University to offset the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only will this money help the HBCU that she attended, but it will also assist the community around TSU, which has a large Black population. Winfrey was one credit short of graduating from the institution in the 1970s. That was when she pursued her television career, but she returned in 1986 to turn in her final paper and graduate.

Mackenzie Scott

Howard University, Tuskegee University, Xavier University of Louisiana and Hampton University announced they got the largest donations in their respective histories in July. Who was the donor? Mackenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon CEO and richest person in the world, Jeff Bezos, according to school officials and statements. Scott and Bezos went through a divorce back in July 2019, which left her with $38 billion in Amazon shares. She committed $1.7 billion of that money to charity, and BET said each institution got $20 million.

Chris Paul

NBA Player Chris Paul was making headlines last month for his off-season activities. Not only did the Oklahoma City Thunder point guard announce he would start taking courses at Winston-Salem State University, an HBCU in North Carolina, but he also plans to provide transportation for HBCU students to election polls. Paul said his love and advocacy for HBCUs came from the fact that most of his family attended these institutions. He also teamed up with the United Negro College Fund, Kevin Hart, Toni Braxton and other celebs to contribute over $500,000 in scholarships to 20 HBCU students.

Reed Hastings

The CEO of Netflix contributed some of his fortune to two HBCUs in June. Reed Hastings and his wife, Patty Quillin, donated $40 million to Morehouse College and another $40 million to Spelman College. The couple said in a statement that investing in Black youth is investing in America's future. "Both of us had the privilege of a great education and we want to help more students - in particular students of color - get the same start in life," they said. They also contributed $40 million to the United Negro College Fund.

George Lynch

George Lynch, a former Los Angeles Laker, stepped up when he noticed how students were being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. While he was coaching at Clark University, courses switched to remote learning for safety. Unfortunately, a sizeable amount of student-athletes didn't have access to Wi-Fi nor a computer for schoolwork. Lynch used his non-profit HBCU Heroes to partner with corporations, like JP Morgan Chase, to provide computers to Gambler State University student-athletes and other HBCUs.

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