By Mackenzie Acker

Features Editor

    Winston-Salem is known for many things, but national attention is not one of them. It’s not a city where stories break through to a nationwide audience, and certainly not where hundreds of millions of dollars are flashed. However, that changed this past November. Mackenzie Scott, formerly Mackenzie Bezos, donated a record-breaking 50 million dollars to Winston-Salem State University. This is the second donation Scott has made to the university, totaling 80 million dollars. Through these historic investments in the Winston-Salem community, Scott made Winston-Salem a national headliner.

     Founded in 1892, WSSU has had a rich history steeped in innovation. As a historically Black university, WSSU has provided a premier education to students across North Carolina since 1892 and has hosted many great moments throughout its history. In 1960, WSSU students participated in a landmark sit-in leading to the desegregation of the city’s lunch counters, and in 1967, its basketball team became the first historically Black university to win the NCAA championship. Among the record-breaking moments is Scott’s donation, which became the biggest contribution in the university’s history.

    The 50 million dollar donation was also unique in its parameters. The donation was given with an “unrestricted” status, meaning that the funds can be used for anything the university needs. This is unusual because most donors opt for restricted donations, specifying where they would like the money to go and how it should be utilized. WSSU has not spoken specifically about where they will apportion these funds; instead, they’re speaking broadly of major improvements and speaking fondly of Scott.

    “This gift is truly life-changing for our students and our community,” Chancellor Bonita J. Brown, in a public statement, said. “MacKenzie Scott’s confidence in Winston-Salem State University enables us to transform lives, not just today, but for generations. Her investment empowers us to make a high-quality education accessible, affordable, and within reach for students who never believed college was possible.”

    WSSU isn’t the only place Scott has donated such large sums. After amassing a fortune from being a co-owner of Amazon and the wife of Jeff Bezos, Scott has pledged to give most of her money away. She founded Yield Giving, an organization that has donated over 19 billion dollars to nonprofits across the country. She’s also become a champion of historically Black universities. Along with WSSU, she has also donated to schools like North Carolina A&T University and Spelman College. 

    “No investor in higher education history has had such a broad and transformational impact across so many universities,” North Carolina A&T Chancellor James R. Martin II., in a news release, said. “North Carolina A&T is deeply grateful for Ms. Scott’s reaffirmed belief in our mission and for the example she sets in placing trust in institutions like ours to drive generational change through education, discovery, and innovation.”

    Scott’s donation will provide WSSU with significant funds to spend on improving the university, but the faith in the university’s progress means much more than a dollar amount. The continued philanthropy of Scott to WSSU and numerous other HBCUs proves that investing in communities has a profound impact, and Winston-Salem is worth the spend.