Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott announced continued large-scale gifts to historically Black colleges and universities, totaling more than $1.2 billion since 2020. Scott—who cites mentorship from Toni Morrison and her time at Princeton—has directed unrestricted funds to HBCUs this year, supporting operating budgets and new endowed positions such as the Toni Morrison Endowed Chair at Howard. Her approach of large, unrestricted grants is reshaping funding strategies for minority-serving institutions and drawing attention to private philanthropy’s role amid declining public and corporate support for DEI programs.