The Black Scholarship
The Black Scholarship is a simple program that redistributes funds to Black scholars regardless of merit, discipline, or institutional affiliation. We believe that all students pursuing higher education deserve the funding to do so. The Black Scholarship is open to any U.S. based Black identifying undergraduate, graduate, or specialty school students in need of financial support. Applicants simply need to demonstrate that they are enrolled in an institution of higher education (i.e. submitting proof of enrollment, transcript, etc.) and submit a Statement of Need to be considered.
This scholarship is not based on my idea of who can write the best essay or has the highest GPA. Acknowledging that higher education is an accomplishment in and of itself, I want these funds to be accessible to anyone who needs them, to be used as they see fit.
My goal is to raise at least $5,000 to be split evenly between 5 different students each Fall, Spring, and Summer semester. Winners will be notified at the beginning of each semester via email. If I am not able to raise the full $5,000 in a given semester, whatever funds I am able to raise will be split evenly between 2-5 students (depending on the amount raised). Students will need to reapply each semester; applications from one semester will not roll over to the next semester. Scholarship recipients will be chosen at random, given they've filled out the application in its entirety.
Fall 2020 Recipients
Anquincia Jones
Corey Hollis
Cornell College Freshman
UC Berkeley Senior
"This scholarship will help me turn my dreams into reality. Now that I have graduated high school, I am on to a new journey towards success. The road has not been smooth thus far and I know I will face more challenges along the way but with my strong desire to do my best and determination I am prepared for anything and I will not give up until I reach my peak. Also, as a strong believer in God I know that he will guide me I will be attending Cornell College, majoring in Engineering, and playing basketball. With big dreams for my future, there is still one big thing holding me back: money. I did not grow up in a family that has access to $20,000 or money just comes easy for them. Living with my mother, along with two other siblings is challenging knowing that she is the only one taking care of us and that I am not the only child that she has to financially support on her own can be stressful. As of now my goals are just dreams, but with this scholarship and many others like it my goals will be accomplished. If I receive this scholarship, I will be able to use it for one of my college expenses and avoid taking out huge amounts of loans. I will truly be blessed to receive this scholarship because that will be less stress for me while thinking about how I will pay for college and my mom could stop pressuring me to work instead of going to college because she wouldn’t have to provide for me as much. As a The Black Scholarship recipient, I will have a key that will unlock one door I need for success. In addition, with that key, I will be able to help unlock another kid’s dream 10 years from now."
"There are many things this scholarship can assist me with. I am a massage therapist and use the income from my massage business to cover extraneous expenses such as groceries, gas, and bills. As of March 2020, I have been restricted from doing bodywork due to the risk of contracting or spreading COVID-19 and had to reimagine what I can do as a massage therapist. I offer online foam rolling and self-massage classes now and find joy in teaching the anatomy and mechanics of the body. However, because foam rolling and self-massage courses and instruction are not trending, I don't have many students... I have one student, and as much as I appreciate my one student, I don't generate the same level of income I once had. I am confident that interest for foam rolling and self-massage classes will change with time the longer we stay sheltered in place, but until then, funds are tight.
The most immediate expense I have at the moment is my car getting towed. Before it was towed, my car had the catalytic converter stolen. The price to replace the catalytic converter cost more than what I paid for the car, so instead of fixing it, I bought another car. When Shelter in Place started, my car with the catalytic converter missing was parked. I attempted to sell it but did not get any buyers. I didn't move the car from March to June for street sweeping because no vehicles were moving from their parking spots. Unfortunately, in June, I discovered my car, with the catalytic converter missing, was missing to later find out that it was towed. The tow company said I have to pay $600.00 to release my vehicle to them, meaning I have to pay them to take my car. $1,000.00 would help liberate me from my car's debt, the car with the catalytic converter missing."