MacKenzie Scott's Billions to HBCUs Will Benefit All Americans

MacKenzie Scott's Billions to HBCUs Will Benefit All Americans

For example, Scott is giving Xavier University of Louisiana, a school that sends more Black graduates to medical school than any other university in the U.S., $20 million; Long Beach City College, a California school where more than 85% of students are people of color, $30 million; and Odessa College, a Texas school where 74% of students are nonwhite, $7 million. All three colleges said Scott’s donations were the largest they had ever received.

As a counseling psychology professor who conducts research regarding the education of Black students, I am encouraged to see Scott, a novelist who was formerly married to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, depart from how billionaires tend to approach their higher education giving. Most make donations to prestigious universities that already have large endowments – money raised from alumni and other donors that they invest in stocks, bonds and other assets. This wealth can cover the cost of scholarships, salaries, construction and any other expenses.