MacKenzie Scott just added yet another life-changing philanthropic move to her long list of donations, and its poised to change the lives of countless Black children.
In a news release, Urban Ed Academy (UEA) recently announced their receipt of a $2.5 million donation from the philanthropist, whose net worth reportedly hovers around $20.2B. Scott has already given away nearly $2 billion in donations to more than 343 organizations, many of which that are in support of bolstering underserved communities.
The Bay-area based organization aims to inspire and support Black men in pursuing a career in education through their Man the Bay program. They said that ‘with the transformative donation, they will be able to continue their 12 years of critical work in enriching the education sector with underrepresented faces.’
“We want to thank MacKenzie Scott for recognizing that schools across America need more Black male teachers, said Executive Director Randal Seriguchi, Jr. “Thank you for underlining the incredible hard work and dedication that our fellows, educators, and staff have exemplified. And thank you for providing the resources for us to grow our impact in our community.”
Organizations like UEA are incredibly crucial and greatly contribute to bolstering positive outcomes in the Black community.
Research shows that If a black student has just one black teacher by third grade, that student is 13 percent more likely to enroll in college – those who had two black teachers were 32 percent more likely. These results may speak to the impact of teachers who can relate to students and role models, as well as teacher expectations.
“We are excited to embark on the next phase of our journey. With this game-changing grant, we look forward to showing our gratitude by creating an everlasting ripple effect throughout the educational diaspora,” comments Executive Director Randal Seriguchi, Jr.
More information can be found at https://urbanedacademy.org/.