Multi-billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott strikes again! Scott continues to break records for the largest donations to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) around the country. Her latest donation was a generous gift to a small HBCU in North Carolina, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.
Suggested Reading
Elizabeth City State University’s (ECSU) commitment to making education affordable has resulted in the school being one of the cheapest HBCUs in the U.S. But as we previously told you, Black schools continue to be underfunded and unsupported. That’s why Scott’s recent donation to the small public college will likely be a game-changer.
School Chancellor S. Keith Hargrove Sr. announced that Scott has given the school $42 million to the HBCU.
“I want to express our deepest gratitude to MacKenzie Scott for this remarkable act of generosity and for her recognition of the critical role that HBCUs play in expanding opportunity and strengthening communities,” Hargrove said. “Her investment affirms what we already know: that institutions like ECSU are powerful catalysts for change.”
Scott has donated over $1.3 billion to 17 HBCUs and several Black education foundations since her divorce from billionaire Jeff Bezos, we reported. Unlike other large gifts to colleges, Scott’s donations usually come with no strings attached– e.g., funding requirements, department specifications, or even the renaming of a school building. Instead, Scott has allowed most of the HBCUs to have full autonomy over the millions, and in the case of ECSU, they know exactly how they’re going to use it.
Chancellor Hargrove’s announcement came during the Friday (March 13) celebration of the school’s 135th Founders Day Convocation. “Gifts like this do more than provide resources; they accelerate momentum,” Hargrove continued. “This gift allows institutions like Elizabeth City State University to move boldly toward the future while remaining grounded in the mission that has guided us for 135 years.”
Interestingly enough, the gift comes just as ECSU begins implementing its new five-year strategic plan, ASCEND 2030. Scott previously said, “There’s no question in my mind that anyone’s personal wealth is the product of a collective effort, and of social structures which present opportunities to some people, and obstacles to countless others.”
Straight From 
Sign up for our free daily newsletter.