Photo: Getty Images
Ralph Lauren has officially launched a $2 million scholarship program for HBCU students.
The fashion brand's Corporate Foundation announced its financial commitment in December and will support students at the nation's historically Black colleges and universities through a partnership with the United Negro College Fund (UNCF).
The funds are going to support students at Morehouse College and Spelman College and 10 additional high education institutions over a five-year period.
The program is a part of Ralph Lauren's previously announced commitment to address systemic racism and social injustice by establishing more opportunities for equity within the fashion industry –– starting with education.
"Students represent the best of the human spirit –– passion, curiosity and boundless dreams," Ralph Lauren, Executive Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of the Ralph Lauren Corporation said in a statement. "When all students have an equal chance to succeed, their dreams become realities, and inspire us all."
The remaining colleges will be selected in collaboration with the UNCF using criteria to address unmet need among students, enrollment rates, proximity to Ralph Lauren's operation centers and academic coursework offerings that support careers in the fashion industry.
In November, the brand launched the Ralph Lauren Pin of Solidarity –– a symbol created by Ralph Lauren's Black Advisory Council with the intention to showcase tangible solidarity between the company and Black communities. Hundred percent of the pin's sales go toward the UNCF scholarship program.
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