When celebrities are constantly in the headlines, the content usually ranges from drama to drama and more drama. It’s not too often that we celebrate these high-profile role models for the positive things that they do. It is important that we take the time to highlight their good deeds, especially because of the influence their actions have on the youth, as well as their audiences as a whole. The following is a review of celebrities caught giving back. Enjoy and be inspired!
1. First on our list is Dr. Dre (aka Andre Young) who, along with Interscope Records co-founder Jimmy Iovine, gave a cumulative $70 million to create the Jimmy Lovine and Andre Young Academy for the Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. The first class of 25 students is geared to enroll in Fall of 2014 and will revel in the opportunity to prove their creativity beyond the typical classroom setting through the innovative curriculum.
[Image: LA Times]
2. Since 2005, Snoop Dogg (aka Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr.) has been brightening the lives of California youth with his Snoop Youth Football League. The non-profit organization provides opportunities for youth ages 5 to 13 to play in stadiums around the country, fly in airplanes, and build upon teamwork skills with children from their surrounding area. The teams even participate in a “Superbowl” at the end of their playing season in November.
[Image: BlackCelebKids.com]
3. This past Christmas, Pusha T (aka Terrance Thornton) teamed up with Adidas to contribute to A Thousand Shoes for a Thousand Smiles needy youth initiative. The organization annually collects brand new shoes for under-privileged schoolage children in Hampton Roads, Virginia, for the back-to-school and Christmas seasons.
[Image: 1000 Shoes for a 1000 Smiles]
4. Oprah is a regular on the list of charitable Black celebs. This past year, she held a yard sale to which the proceeds were pledged to the Winfrey Leadership Academy in South Africa. The TV mogul auctioned off almost $600,000 worth of furniture, art, and antiques.
[Image: Rena Schild/Shuttershock]
5. D.C.-based rapper Wale gave a $25,000 scholarship to a Hampton University student this past summer. Lauren Pryor, who is a sophomore psychology major, won the scholarship through a local Norfolk radio station, reported the Grio.
[Image: AtlantaBlackStar.com]
6. Jay Z’s Shawn Carter Foundation Gilman International Scholarship awarded study abroad opportunities to four gifted students in 2013. The students were able to go to a country of their choice with all expenses paid. His foundation also sponsors an annual HBCU bus tour that gives students opportunities to view the campuses of their potential alma maters before applying.
[Image: Everett Collecton/Shuttershock]