Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.
Sharon Barner has donated $1 million to Syracuse University to endow 119 Euclid, a space that celebrates the experiences and contributions of Black students at the university. The gift, which will rename 119 Euclid as the Barner-McDuffie House, aims to promote Black culture across the university, as well as provide scholarship opportunities for first generation and underrepresented students.
“I came through Syracuse University during a period of change across the 1970s. As an African American female, I found a community that was supportive of all the things I thought I could do with my life,” says Barner, who earned two bachelor’s degrees from the university in political science and psychology. “As I looked to give back, it was about both giving back to Syracuse and to people who had experiences like myself. I wanted to help make sure they had the foundations they needed, both through finding community and scholarship.”
Tuskegee University, a historically Black university in Alabama, has received a $3.8 million gift from The Tracking Foundation, in collaboration with university trustee Greg Nixon, to support the Stephen Feinberg Scholarship program. The foundation has contributed over $14 million to Tuskegee over the past three years. The funds will support educational opportunities for Tuskegee students with financial need, particularly those eligible for Pell Grants.
Historically Black Alabama State University has been awarded a $100,000 grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to establish a centralized “Data Hub” over the next six months. This effort will help Alabama State University better analyze student information and business practices. Ultimately, the goal of the project will be to develop a data hub model that can be effective at other historically Black colleges and universities.
Benedict College, a historically Black edcational institution in Columbia, South Carolina, has received a $195,000 grant from the South Carolina Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services. The funds will help establish Benedict College Resist Overcome Achieve Rise, a collegiate recovery program. The initiative aims to provide resources for their students such as peer mentorship, mental health counseling, first-aid training, universal screening, and referral practices to help identify potentially vulnerable students.
