Project HEAL

Travis Scott Donates $1M To Black College Students To Ensure They Graduate

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According to a report from TMZ, rapper Travis Scott has decided to give Black college students a large monetary incentive to become graduates.

According to the report, Scott awarded $1 million in scholarships to 100 students at HBCUs that are slated to walk across the stage in 2022. Scott’s Waymon Webster Scholarship Fund will be donating $10K to each student who finish off their scholastic career with at least a 3.5 GPA.

Scott’s donations went to 38 HBCU seniors from Alabama A&M University, Central State University, Jackson State University, Morehouse College, Texas Southern University, Grambling State University, Xavier University of Louisiana, and Prairie View A&M University.

The scholarships are a part of Scott’s Project HEAL, which was established in the wake of the Astroworld tragedy, which took ten lives and injured numerous others.

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Travis Scott’s Project HEAL Was Called A ‘PR Stunt’ By The Family Of An Astroworld Victim

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Not everyone was enthused to hear about Travis Scott’s proposed Project HEAL initiative, which the Texas rapper announced earlier this week. Travis donated $5 million to local community-based funds such as HBCU scholarships and mental health programs, as well as the U.S. Conference of Mayors Task Force on Event Safety. However, the family of one of the victims of the Astroworld Festival disaster was unimpressed, calling the move a “PR stunt” that he could later use to make himself look good in court when the combined slew of cases against him goes to trial.

Bernon and Tericia Blount, the grandparents of Ezra Blount, the youngest of the Astroworld attendees who were killed as a result of the crowd crush during Travis’ headlining set at the festival, aren’t convinced Travis is just giving out of the goodness of his heart. Tericia told Rolling Stone, “It’s a PR stunt. He’s pretty much trying to sway the jurors before they’re even assembled. He’s trying to make himself look good, but it doesn’t look that way to someone with our eyes. What we’re seeing is that he’s done wrong, and now he’s trying to be the good guy and trying to give his own verdict on safety.” Bernon agreed, “Every time he does something like this, it’s an ongoing reminder.”

Meanwhile, the lawyer for Ezra’s father Treston Blount, who filed a separate lawsuit from the 9-year-old’s grandparents, believes that Travis’ Project HEAL announcement may have flouted court orders, violating a gag order instated to ensure objectivity from the jury. “Blount and the other plaintiffs herein do not have the high profile ability to sway public opinion as defendant Scott — an international music star — and his sophisticated media team do,” wrote Blount’s lawyer, Robert Hilliard, in an emergency motion to “immediately clarify” whether the gag order “applies equally to lawyers and parties.”

Meanwhile, Travis’ spokesperson, Stephanie Rawlings Blake, called Hilliard’s statement “shameful and beyond cynical,” continuing, “It is also disappointing that Mr. Hilliard would attack Project HEAL, a series of philanthropic gestures designed to give students and young people a leg up. Project HEAL is a continuation of Travis Scott’s longstanding work, including academic scholarships and creative design programs for underprivileged students.” Travis’ lawyers have since filed their own statements defending the star’s right to “make public statements about his ongoing philanthropic work, even as it relates to public safety.”

Travis Scott Announces $5 Million for Community-Focused Initiatives ‘Project Heal’

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Travis Scott introduced Project HEAL, a multi-tiered, long-term philanthropy and investment effort centered on community initiatives.

$1 million in pledged scholarships for students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) will be available to help students in need begin the process now. The Waymon Webster Scholarship Fund, thanks to Scott’s support, will award $10,000 scholarships to seniors who have achieved academic excellence (a GPA of 3.5 or higher) but are facing the last-minute challenge of financial adversity in their second semester senior year – and are at risk of not graduating. The scholarships will assist 100 students in crossing the finish line with their diplomas in hand. This is Scott’s second year of funding for HBCUs, and it represents a tenfold increase.

Howard University, Morehouse College, Texas Southern University, Grambling State University, and Prairie View A&M University – Scott’s grandfather’s alma institution, where he also served as an instructor – have all received awards in the past. Waymon’s award is named after him to celebrate his commitment to academic excellence throughout his life. Cactus Jack Foundation is now accepting applications online at cactusjack.foundation.

“My grandfather was an educator who made a difference in thousands of young lives throughout his life,” said Scott. “He is a major influence on me and countless others, whose dreams he believed in, whose hopes he invested in, and whose futures he made big. It’s in his spirit that we are creating projects and programs that will look to the future of our communities and create hope and excellence in as many lives as possible.”

“I know personally how deeply important my grandfather’s academic legacy at HBCUs is to Travis and to my entire family – my twin brother Josh also attends an HBCU, at Prairie View A&M University,” Jordan Webster, Project Manager at the Cactus Jack Foundation’s HBCU Program, Howard University student and sister to Travis Scott, said. “Travis creates hope and makes a real difference to 100 of our HBCU peers who will be able to graduate without going into crushing debt. As a third-generation HBCU student, I cannot be prouder to partner with Travis on the second year of this exceptional initiative.”

The second pillar of HEAL focuses on the country’s escalating mental health crisis, allocating much-needed resources to support programs for young people in low-income communities of color, many of whom have few adequate, accessible, and affordable mental health options.

Scott will give free programs with qualified professional counsellors and social workers thanks to seven-figure commitments to support digital counselling and telephone hotlines. Dr. Janice Beal, a mental health expert in Houston, will head the project with Scott’s help. Dr. Beal, the Programing Director of “Well Being in Color,” a peer mental health education program for students of color; in addition to her private practice, she recently developed mental health pipelines for the Houston Independent School District during the COVID-19 pandemic, is a member of the Mayor of Houston’s special needs task force, and advises US Congressmembers on youth mental health issues.

“Mental health has traditionally been a taboo subject. As life begins to return to normal, many young people are still suffering and need help to re-adjust after serious disruptions to their experiences at home, in school and within their community,” said Dr. Janice Beal. “With Travis Scott’s help, HEAL’s programs will help empower young people to overcome mental health issues and become the best they can be.”

The third pillar is a seven-figure expansion of the CACT.US Youth Design Center at TXRX Labs in Houston, a nonprofit makerspace for young artists, designers, and tech innovators that includes free studio space, work space, tool spaces, job and apprenticeship training, youth education, and events, in collaboration with Travis Scott’s Cactus Jack Foundation. Through a strategic online relationship with a historically black institution or university, HEAL will fund a new comprehensive creative design education program for the Center – existing where fashion, art, technology, and music converge.

The fourth and final pillar is to address large-scale live event safety concerns by financing the US Conference of Mayors Task Force on Event Safety and a tech-driven device that is now in development. This approach is the result of input from major stakeholders in the tech industry, government, emergency response, event management, health, and public safety.

This will be the first time that all of these stakeholders will collaborate to address the safety concerns that future large-scale events will confront, with a full report of recommendations as a result. HEAL will lobby for this report to be adopted as the new safety and security template for all festivals and large-scale events.

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Travis Scott Announces Project HEAL And Donates $5 Million To Community-Based Initiatives

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Travis Scott has laid low since the tragedy that took place at Astroworld Festival back in November. In the four months since, the rapper has delivered an interview about the incident, celebrated the birth of his second child with Kylie Jenner, and received a lawsuit over allegedly stolen cover art. Now he’s doing some good for the community. According to TMZ, Travis has announced Project HEAL, a philanthropic endeavor that will launch community-based initiatives. In addition to the announcement, Travis will also donate $5 million to these causes.

The new project will provide support for students, creatives, music fans, and concertgoers. $1 million from his donation will go towards HBCU scholarships. This will be done through his Waymon Webster Scholarship Fund, which provides support for Black students.

The remaining $4 million will go towards the Project HEAL initiative, where it will be divided towards numerous causes. One of them includes the creation of a free mental health program for children, which will be spearheaded by Houston-based behavioral health expert Dr. Janice Beal. Travis will also expand his creative design program through his Cactus Jack Foundation thanks to a seven-figure expansion of the CACT.US Youth Design Center at TXRX Labs in Houston. A press release for the center describes it as a “nonprofit makerspace for young artists, designers, tech innovators, including free studio space, work space, tool spaces, job and apprenticeship training, youth education and events.”

Travis will also donate money to the U.S. Conference of Mayors Task Force on Event Safety with the goal of making sure that fans remain protected at concerts. It’s part of a collaborative effort to ensure maximum safety at large-scale events and will lead to a “comprehensive report of recommendations.” In the press release for Project HEAL, Travis Scott shared a statement about the new endeavor.

“My grandfather was an educator who made a difference in thousands of young lives throughout his life,” he said. “He is a major influence on me and countless others, whose dreams he believed in, whose hopes he invested in, and whose futures he made big. It’s in his spirit that we are creating projects and programs that will look to the future of our communities and create hope and excellence in as many lives as possible.”