This Week in Good Black News: Shonda Rhimes Breaks Ground at Dartmouth, MacKenzie Scott Boosts HBCUs, and Rihanna Welcomes Baby No. 3
This week’s headlines remind us that Black stories are not only powerful but pivotal, driving change in education, justice, culture, and community. Shonda Rhimes is reshaping history at Dartmouth with a $15 million gift that will put her name on the first building honoring a woman and a Black alum. MacKenzie Scott stepped in with a staggering $70 million donation to the United Negro College Fund, moving HBCUs even closer to their billion-dollar campaign milestone.
On the justice side, two Boston men who were falsely accused in a racially charged 1989 case finally received restitution, while Maurice Hastings, who endured 38 years wrongfully imprisoned, secured California’s largest wrongful conviction settlement at $25 million. And in a brighter moment, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky introduced their first daughter, Rocki Irish Mayers, adding another chapter to their growing family and proving that joy belongs in the headlines too.
Boston Men Wrongfully Accused Finally Receive Restitution
More than 30 years after being falsely tied to one of Boston’s most infamous murder cases, Alan Swanson and Willie Bennett are finally seeing justice. The two men, wrongfully accused in the 1989 killing of Carol Stuart, will receive a combined $150,000 settlement from the city, BET.com reported.
Bennett will receive $100,000, and Swanson will receive $50,000. City officials said the payments are part of a broader effort to acknowledge the racial harm caused by the case.
Shonda Rhimes Makes History With $15M Gift to Dartmouth
Shonda Rhimes is leaving her mark on more than just TV. The Emmy-winning creator has pledged $15 million to fund a new Dartmouth residence hall that will carry her name, BET.com reported.
Set to open in 2028, it will be the first campus building named after a woman and the first named after a Black alum. “It’s an opportunity to show how formative my college experience was for me,” Rhimes said of the gift.
MacKenzie Scott Donates $70M to UNCF to Support HBCUs
Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has gifted $70 million to the United Negro College Fund in what the organization called an “extraordinary” contribution, BET.com reported. The donation will strengthen endowments for all 37 UNCF member schools, adding to the $10 million she gave in 2020. UNCF President Michael L. Lomax praised Scott as “rewriting the book on philanthropy” and said the gift moves the group closer to its $1 billion capital campaign goal.
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Maurice Hastings Awarded $25M After 38 Years Wrongfully Imprisoned
At 72, Maurice Hastings has been awarded $25 million after spending nearly four decades in prison for a crime he did not commit, BET.com reported. Hastings, who was wrongfully convicted at 31 for a Los Angeles-area murder and carjacking, called the settlement “a welcome end to a very long road.” His legal team says it is the largest wrongful conviction payout in California history.
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky Welcome Baby Girl
Rihanna has officially expanded her family, welcoming her first daughter, Rocki Irish Mayers, with partner A$AP Rocky, BET.com reported. Already parents to two young sons, the superstar couple is now celebrating their newest arrival. Fans quickly flooded social media with congratulations and speculation about the little girl’s fashion future. With motherhood shaping her personal and professional outlook, Rihanna continues to balance life as a mogul, artist, and now a mom of three, BET.com reported.
