Female Philanthropist, Mackenzie Scott, makes record-breaking donations to HBCUs

HAMPTON, Virginia – Billionaire philanthropist, Mackenzie Scott, has donated over $300 million to HBCUs within the month of December. She is the single largest donor to HBCUs through her donations in 2020. 

More recently, North Carolina A&T announced that they received a generous donation of $45 million. In early October Chancellor Harold L. Martin was contacted by a team member of Mackenzie Scott. He was told that the donor wanted to give 9 times the amount of the $5 million donation the university received previously. 

Earlier this year, she donated to over five different HBCUs including Hampton University with a lofty donation of $30 million. Norfolk State University received $40 million in December. Scott has been a strong advocate for stopping racial inequality through her support in education. 

The plethora of schools Scott donated to include: Prairie View A&M, Morgan State University, Bowie State University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Norfolk State University, Virginia State University, Claflin University, Dillard University, North Carolina A&T, Voorhees College, Howard University, Hampton University, Winston-Salem University, Alcorn University, Morehouse College, Spelman College, Lincoln University, Delaware State University, Tuskegee University, Xavier University of Louisiana, Elizabeth City State University, Tougaloo College, and Clark Atlanta University.  

In a press release, Scott emphasized that this was a necessary step to help organizations during this pandemic. 

“Though I’m far from completing my pledge,” Scott added, “this year of giving began with exposure to leaders from historically marginalized groups fighting inequities and ended with exposure to thousands of organizations working to alleviate suffering for those hardest hit by the pandemic.”