JAY-Z Comes Under Fire For Educational Campaign In Philadelphia

JAY-Z is facing backlash on social media for the announcement that Roc Nation is helping dish out $300 million in scholarships to Philadelphia students in grades K-12 through the PASS program (Pennsylvania Award for Student Success). Throughout June, the company will be hosting a series of events to educate the public about the program. While it seems like a worthy philanthropic effort on the surface, critics feel its true mission is to undermine public school funding in service of further privatizing education.

“Just to be clear for those not in Pennsylvania, the legislation Jay-Z is supporting here is a Republican-led effort to gut public education, spearheaded by future Trump cabinet member Jeffrey Yass,” one user wrote on X (formerly Twitter). Another added: “Whether Jay-Z or the upper middle-class family on the block: if you have resources and don’t allocate them to local public schools, you are making a moral and political choice. Taking children out of public schools in favor of private IS PRECISELY what hurts the most vulnerable.”

JAY-Z & Beyonce Attend Louis Vuitton Show During Paris Fashion Week

PARIS, FRANCE – JUNE 20: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY – For Non-Editorial use please seek approval from Fashion House) Jay Z and Beyoncé attend the Louis Vuitton Menswear Spring/Summer 2024 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on June 20, 2023, in Paris, France. (Photo by Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)

Roc Nation announced the move earlier this week. “We have enjoyed such a special connection with Philadelphians, so we’ve made it our mission to invest in the long-term success of the city’s changemakers,” Roc Nation Managing Director of Philanthropy Dania Diaz said in a statement caught by Billboard. “Impact starts with the students and with awareness. We want to empower the youth and families with the knowledge to pursue their scholastic dreams, make their voices heard and become the leaders of tomorrow.”

JAY-Z Faces Backlash Online

Most of the social media backlash came in response to XXL’s coverage of the news. Check out some of the posts below. Be on the lookout for further updates on JAY-Z on HotNewHipHop.

Said differently:

As Pennsylvania is on the verge of transforming the most inequitable school funding system in the nation, an out-of-state billionaire is pairing with a suburban Philadelphia one to try to destroy public education instead. https://t.co/4VucsDiMCw

— Dan Urevick-Ackelsberg (@Dan_UA) June 7, 2024

Just to be clear for those not in Pennsylvania, the legislation Jay-Z is supporting here is a Republican-led effort to gut public education, spearheaded by future Trump cabinet member Jeffrey Yass. https://t.co/BURqIa3sJZ

— Phil Gentry (@pmgentry) June 7, 2024

Whether Jay-Z or the upper middle-class family on the block: if you have resources and don’t allocate them to local public schools, you are making a moral and political choice. Taking children out of public schools in favor of private IS PRECISELY what hurts the most vulnerable.

— Karlie Hustle (@THEkarliehustle) June 7, 2024

The $300 million ain’t coming from Jay-Z nor Roc Nation. The $300 million is coming from the state’s tax payers and could be used to help turn around those low-performing schools instead of giving a windfall to unaccountable private schools. No. https://t.co/LxpMP5FIsP

— Ida Bae Wells (@nhannahjones) June 7, 2024

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