JAY-Z has received backlash after setting up a $300 million scholarship fund in Philadelphia.
Hov’s Roc Nation company announced last week that they will be distributing the sizeable sum to students in the city via scholarships to private schools for grade K-12 through the PASS (Pennsylvania Award for Student Success) program.
The philanthropic effort has been criticized by politicians and members of the public for allegedly undermining public schools in favor of private education.
One critic wrote on social media: “Just to be clear for those not in Pennsylvania, the legislation Jay-Z is supporting here is a Republican-led effort to gut public education, spearheaded by future Trump cabinet member Jeffrey Yass.”
Just to be clear for those not in Pennsylvania, the legislation Jay-Z is supporting here is a Republican-led effort to gut public education, spearheaded by future Trump cabinet member Jeffrey Yass. https://t.co/BURqIa3sJZ
— Phil Gentry (@pmgentry) June 7, 2024
Whether Jay-Z or the upper middle-class family on the block: if you have resources and don’t allocate them to local public schools, you are making a moral and political choice. Taking children out of public schools in favor of private IS PRECISELY what hurts the most vulnerable.
— Karlie Hustle (@THEkarliehustle) June 7, 2024
Another slammed the proposal by saying: “Whether Jay-Z or the upper middle-class family on the block: if you have resources and don’t allocate them to local public schools, you are making a moral and political choice. Taking children out of public schools in favor of private IS PRECISELY what hurts the most vulnerable.”
Prior to the negative reception, Roc Nation Managing Director of Philanthropy Dania Diaz said in a statement: “We have enjoyed such a special connection with Philadelphians, so we’ve made it our mission to invest in the long-term success of the city’s changemakers.”
“Impact starts with the students and with awareness,” she continued. “We want to empower the youth and families with the knowledge to pursue their scholastic dreams, make their voices heard and become the leaders of tomorrow.”
JAY-Z has been very active in philanthropy in recent years, raising $20 million for college students last year.
The rapper’s Shawn Carter Foundation raised the money to help college students from low-income backgrounds pursue further education.
There were numerous donations given including $10 million from Amazon chairman Jeff Bezos and his fiancée Lauren Sanchez, which will allow the foundation to build out their international exchange program, scholarships, community goodwill and emergency assistance programs.
Twitter founder Jack Dorsey also donated $2 million to the foundation as part of his annual contribution.
The Shawn Carter Foundation was co-founded in 2003 by JAY-Z and his mother, Gloria Carter, and has provided students with college scholarships and tours to historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), study abroad opportunities, wealth building programs and more for underserved youth and families from disenfranchised communities.