Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Gives $1M to Howard During Surprise Homecoming Visit
Credit: Image Credit: Thaddaeus McAdams / WireImage / Getty Images- According to Howard University’s administration, Sean “Diddy” Combs has met or exceeded every public and private donation commitment he has made to the university.
- Combs donated $1 million in August to Jackson State University’s athletics department.
- Other celebrities like Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott and Charles Barkley have also donated to historically Black colleges and universities.
Rapper and producer Sean “Diddy” Combs followed through on his million-dollar promise to his alma mater Howard University, one of the country’s historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
Combs gifted Howard University $1 million on Oct. 20 during a surprise visit to Howard’s Yardfest, where he performed a few songs before presenting President Ben Vinson III with a check.
The Hilltop, Howard’s independent student newspaper, reported he had pledged $1 million to his alma mater at the 2022 BET Awards.
“Mr. Combs has fully honored every public pledge of support he has made to Howard University. This includes both public pledges to donate to Howard University, each for $1 million,” Howard University’s Development and Alumni Relations Senior Vice President David P. Bennett said in The Hilltop article.
Combs has also supported Howard in more private ways through other contributions like donating to the School of Business in 2016, internships, and hiring alums, The Hilltop reported.
Although Howard cannot publicize contribution documentation, university administrators confirmed that Combs has “honored or exceeded all commitments he has made to Howard University, publicly or privately,” according to The Hilltop.
“As someone who attended Howard University and values the transformative experience of historically Black colleges, it remains crucial that we strive to protect and uphold their legacy,” Combs said, according to ABC 7 News.
“This donation to Howard is not just a financial contribution; it’s also a reaffirmation of our commitment to a cultural institution that has touched countless lives. It’s about ensuring that HBCUs continue to receive the support they rightfully deserve.”
Last August, Combs donated $1 million to Jackson State University’s (JSU) athletics department during the first and second quarters of JSU’s football game against South Carolina State. According to JSU, he plans to support the football team further.
Combs is one of many celebrities who made recent donations to HBCUs. In 2022, fellow hip-hop trailblazer Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott donated $20,000 to Norfolk State University in Virginia, while basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley committed to giving $1 million each to Bethune-Cookman University in Florida and JSU in Mississippi.