Photo courtesy of Drew Altizer / Variety.
Film producer Patty Quillin and her husband, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, are investing in HBCUs and donating $10 million to Tougaloo College in Jackson, Miss.
According to Variety, the couple is giving the funds to Tougaloo College for financial scholarships for underprivileged students. The Brown-Tougaloo Partnership Scholarship Fund will receive $5 million of the donation at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. The other $5 million will be given for scholarships at Tougaloo College.
Patty Quillin and her husband visited Tougaloo College on Feb. 21 to announce the scholarships. They also issued a statement noting that HBCUs are undervalued for their contributions to the world and were investing in America’s future with the donation.
“HBCUs have been vastly undervalued for a long time,” said the statement. “They have an incredible track record of graduating so many Black leaders across the U.S. — doctors, lawyers, engineers and more. By investing in the extraordinary students who attend Tougaloo and Brown, we’re investing in America’s future.
The $10 million monetary gift isn’t the first time the two have donated to HBCUs. The billionaire couple also donated
$120 million to HBCUs Morehouse College and Spelman College for scholarships in 2020 in a partnership with the United Negro College Fund. The funds were split equally between the United Negro College Fund and the two HBCUs. The couple released a statement at the time, announcing their intentions.Both of us had the privilege of a great education and we want to help more students — in particular students of color — get the same start in life.”
The film producer and Netflix CEO also said they hoped the donation would help more Black students pursue their dreams.
“We hope this additional $120 million donation will help more Black students follow their dreams and also encourage more people to support these institutions — helping to reverse generations of inequity in our country.”
The donation is the biggest donation ever given to the Brown-Tougaloo Partnership Fund– established during the civil rights movement in 1964. The partnership was created to connect students and staff from schools for research projects and fellowships.