Charles Barkley promised millions of dollars to Black students at his alma mater, Auburn University. Nicki Minaj just said that she would cover the college tuition for the 14-year-old who was shot by his mother’s attacker.
Black celebrities everywhere are doing what they can to give back to the community. Whether their actors, businessmen, athletes, or singers, these Black celebs have always been very philanthropic.
What has King James not done? He helped create More Than a Vote, a campaign meant to end voter suppression and help more people register to vote. He also founded the I Promise school in Akron, Ohio, his hometown, which allows students to attend Akron University for free after they graduate.
Giving back is what made Oprah Winfrey’s career. Through her nonprofit organization, Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation, the billionaire donates millions of dollars every year.
Along with being a talented entertainer, Queen Latifah is also a generous celebrity. She created the Queen Collective, a program that shines a light on Black filmmakers who are women.
Say what you want about the accomplished filmmaker, but Perry has always created opportunities for the less fortunate in the Black community. Just this year, he donated $2.75 million to senior homeowners in Atlanta to help them keep their homes.
John Legend does incredible work with the Show Me Campaign, a nonprofit that seeks to “break the cycle of poverty” and help every child get access to education. He’s also donated to a plethora of other organizations including Global Citizen, Feeding America, the Red Cross Foundation, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Did we forget that Beyoncé’s 2020 song, “Black Parade,” helped the NAACP’s Black Business Impact Fund? She also does great work through BeyGOOD, her organization that focuses on economic equity.
The veteran rapper just promised to pay the future college tuition of the 14-year-old who was shot by his mother’s attacker. That’s as philanthropic as it gets.
Serena Williams makes plenty of donations, but the philanthropic work that hits closest to home is the work she does with the Yetunde Price Resource Center, which is named after her sister, who was tragically murdered in 2003. It helps victims of violence have access to resources that may help them heal.
The NBA Hall of Famer just promised to use $5 million to help Black students at Auburn University, his alma mater. But he also just gave the first installment of a $1 million pledge to Jackson State University.
The legendary Miami Heat guard doesn’t just donate money, he advocates for people with his voice and platform. He’s been a staunch supporter of the LGBTQ+ community and “trans rights.” Wade and his wife, Gabrielle Union, have also raised money for organizations that help people in the LGBTQ+ community, such as GLSEN, which helps prevent bullying of those groups in school.
I know Jay-Z has always been the guy to flaunt what he has in his music, but he’s also done a lot to give back. In 2021, Hov’s Shawn Carter Foundation and Beyoncé’s BeyGOOD initiative partnered with Tiffany & CO. to give nearly $2 million to HBCUs across the country.
Grammy award-winning artist Alicia Keys created Keep A Child Alive, a nonprofit that helps children and families across the world deal with the effects of HIV/AIDS.
Yeah, I know P. Diddy is flashy and is always looking for the next business deal, but he also does a lot to give back to the communities that helped raise him. In 2016, he opened Capitol Preparatory Harlem Charter School to help educate young Black students in his neighborhood.
Billionaire Robert F. Smith has made numerous donations to charities across the world, but his most notable one was to the students of Morehouse College when he promised to pay the entire balance of the outstanding student loans for Morehouse’s class of 2019. Makes me jealous that I didn’t go to school there.
He’s not always in the news about it, but Denzel Washington has always been a huge supporter of the Boys & Girls Club, which he admits helped raise him. He also made charitable donations to help complete the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
In 2012, Rihanna founded the Clara Lionel Foundation, named after her grandparents Clara and Lionel Braithwaite. Through her organization, she helps Caribbean and the United States prepare for natural disasters.
Russell Wilson was the 2021 winner of the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, which recognizes the most charitable player in the league for that season. His nonprofit, Why Not You, helps fight poverty and promotes education.
Don’t be mad Cowboy haters, Dak Prescott was a deserving winner of the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. In honor of his mother who died of cancer in 2013, the Cowboys QB founded the Faith Fight Finish Foundation, which works to help those fighting cancer.