MacKenzie Scott, Thank You
Tags: Hbcu, Philanthropy, Prairie View, Black Colleges, Mackenzie Scott

“How could you ever hope to separate the random from the intentional?”, is asked by author Maria Konnikova, in her book The Biggest Bluff: How I Learned to Pay Attention, Master Myself, and Win. This philosophical query is also one that Guy Raz poses to the founders of successful businesses in NPR’s podcast, How I Built This with Guy Raz. Towards the end of each interview, Guy asks “How much of your success do you attribute to your skill, your intelligence, your hard work, and how much of it luck?”.

A few months ago I read MacKenzie Scott’s article, 116 Organizations Driving Change, on Medium that detailed how she planned to give the majority of her wealth back to society. The thoughtfulness in her writing and commitment to her pledge filled me with gratitude, so I decided to write a response on Medium, in the form of a letter. As I began to type, my emotion shifted, moving more towards something more powerful, FOMO. This is the acronym for Fear Of Missing Out. FOMO’s use in the internet world applies to everything from missing out on an investment opportunity or missing out on a great time with your friends. In this situation, it was the thought of Prairie View A&M University, my alma mater, missing out on recognition for the transformative work that it has done, and is currently doing in Greater Houston, in Texas, in the United States, and beyond!

Ms. Scott’s first list included six black colleges - Hampton University, Howard University, Morehouse College, Spelman College, Tuskegee University, and the Xavier University of Louisiana. All are EXCEPTIONAL institutions. Within the HBCU community, these schools are what I refer to as typical. Typical as in expected, meaning that when the average person thinks of black colleges, more than likely the name Howard comes to mind. Or when I saw the headline Billionaire Donates to Black College, reading that Morehouse was the beneficiary felt proverbial. The name recognition of these schools is powerful and their aura is compounded by news articles and internet mentions of their eliteness and the generosity that ensues.

I feared that Prairie View A&M University would miss out, be overlooked, and be neglected on a national scale so I wrote what was on my heart and published it on Medium, optimistic that Ms. Scott would see the reply. Now, as of December 15, Ms. Scott’s recent donation of 50 MILLION DOLLARS to my alma mater sparked texts from friends asking have I heard the news and how I felt. I feel AMAZING, not for myself but for what it potentially means for the black colleges she has given to this go-round!

In Ms. Scott’s most recent list of recipients, she increased the number of black colleges to 17! Many of them, generally overshadowed.

Alcorn State University — $25M

Bowie State University — $25M

Claflin University — $20M

Clark Atlanta University — $15M

Delaware State University — $20M

Dillard University — $15M

Elizabeth City State University — $15M

Lincoln University — $20M

Morgan State University — $40M

Norfolk State University — $40M

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University — $45M

Prairie View A&M University — $50M

Tougaloo College — $6M

Virginia State University — $30M

University of Maryland Eastern Shore — $20M

Voorhees College — $4M

Winston-Salem State University — $30M

Do I think that my letter played a role in MacKenzie Scott’s donation? Maybe. Prairie View A&M University was written an unprecedented eye-popping $50 million check!

Does it matter if my letter played a role in MacKenzie Scott’s donation? How could you ever hope to separate the random from the intentional?

With Ms. Scott’s pledge, I wanted her and her team to go beyond the surface, and they’ve done just that.