Credit: DisneyThe Walt Disney Company has pledged to give $1 million to Florida A&M University as a way to support students at the historically black school.
In the past few months, we have seen The Walt Disney Company contribute to various organizations and charities, including ones centered around LGBTQ+ rights.
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This new donation will act as the beginning of the Disney Storytellers Fund at the Tallahassee university as part of the company’s Future Storytellers Program, which is designed to “increase access to careers in storytelling and innovation for individuals from historically underrepresented or marginalized communities,” according to the news release.
“[The fund] will help empower the next generation of Black journalists, news and media executives while also building on the rich legacy of creativity and innovation that the University has cultivated for decades,” said Jennifer Cohen, Disney’s executive vice president of Corporate Social Responsibility.
The money will specifically be used to provide scholarships for housing and tuition for students as well as specialized programming, leadership development, and more to select students at FAMU’s School of Journalism & Graphic Communication over the next five years.
Dean of FAMU’s journalism school Mira Lowe said that the donation would be received by about 15 to 20 “high potential” students per year.
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“Receiving this grant affirms the mission of our school to train students for an evolving media industry with an emphasis on experiential learning,” Lowe said in a statement. “The grant also upholds FAMU as an institution that offers exceptional student experiences.”
The announcement was made by ABC News President and FAMU alumna Kim Godwin on behalf of Disney during the university’s Homecoming Convocation. Established in 1982, FAMU’s highly regarded SJGC has been celebrating its 40th anniversary throughout the year.
The grant is Disney’s first contribution to the school and is set to be distributed in a $200,000 amount annually.
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