She founded the Oprah Winfrey Scholars Program at Morehouse College back in 1989 and has donated $25 million to the school through this endeavor. Oprah Winfrey became the first Black American woman to reach billionaire status in 2003, but she’s been making a major impact for even longer. Oprah Winfrey is an OG of Black wealth and Black philanthropy By the time the foundation celebrated its 25 th anniversary last year, more than 2 million students had taken part in its services. The program provides opportunities for at-risk youth, including offering STEM opportunities, college readiness programs, and mentorship and training opportunities through the Earl Woods Scholars program. But such criticisms ignore the work that Woods has been doing for decades through his TGR Foundation, which he founded in 1996 with his father Earl. Tiger Woods, the latest Black athlete to reach billionaire status, has not been known publicly for his activism and has sometimes been chided for conservative-leaning politics. Tiger Woods offers youth opportunities to honor his father's legacy And during the summer of 2020, he contributed to the resurgent Black Lives Matter movement in a major way, providing $2 million to benefit Black-owned businesses and the families of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. West regularly supports his hometown of Chicago, such as his contribution of 4,000 gifts during a recent toy drive in the city. Nevertheless, Ye has been using his money for several worthy causes. His farcical 2020 presidential run and recent behavior toward ex-wife Kim Kardashian have been low points in his public image.
In recent years, Kanye West has become as well known for his questionable and problematic behavior as for his music and fashion. Kanye West gives back to Chicago and supports victims of police and vigilante violence And this is all on top of the many millions of dollars that he and wife Beyoncé have donated to everything from bailing out Black Lives Matter protestors in Baltimore to setting up a trust fund for the children of Sean Bell.
Jay-Z has been just as active through his Roc Nation entertainment company, which will be hosting its first social justice summit in New York City next month.
#Thelma steward free#
As Blavity previously reported, Jay-Z has not only advocated personally to free artists like Meek Mill and 21 Savage from incarceration, but he has helped build a coalition of powerful figures into his REFORM Alliance to promote major changes to the prison and criminal justice systems. When not having adorable daddy-daughter moments courtside with Blue Ivy, Jay-Z has been using his wealth and celebrity to support a variety of causes and political agendas over the last few years. Jay-Z has gone hard on criminal justice reform and more In recent years, LBJ has been named the Associated Press’ “Athlete of the Year” (alongside tennis star Naomi Osaka) and awarded the NAACP‘s President’s Award for his activism and community work.
Building upon his vocal statements surrounding the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, James founded the More Than a Vote organization, which has mobilized athletes, entertainers and political figures and supported everything from voter education to sponsoring thousands of poll workers. Outside of Akron, James has heavily invested in political influence. He plans to build a neighboring multimillion-dollar medical facility as well, in addition to a complex offering job training and financial literacy. Through the LeBron James Foundation, he created and runs the I Promise School, educating hundreds of students in his hometown of Akron, Ohio. King James may have just hit billionaire status this month, but he’s spent years using his money and celebrity to support a variety of causes. LeBron James reps Akron, supports voting and more Here’s how 10 Black billionaires are giving back.
While the top of the Black income distribution ladder is occupied by only a handful of people, these successful athletes, entertainers and entrepreneurs have been increasingly active in using their wealth in a variety of ways to uplift their communities and promote equity in the country. Depending on how you count, the number of Black billionaires in the country has hit double digits. In recent weeks, two legendary athletes - LeBron James and Tiger Woods - have joined the ultra-exclusive list of Black American billionaires.
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