Alabama State University has received a $38 million contribution from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, the largest single gift the Montgomery-based institution has ever received. According to AL.com, ASU President Quinton Ross Jr. called the moment “pivotal,” describing it as proof of the school’s growing influence in American higher education.

President Ross also said that Scott’s generosity “affirms Alabama State University’s reputation as a catalyst for excellence and innovation in higher education.” He emphasized that the donation symbolizes belief in the potential of ASU’s students and faculty to create lasting change.

The announcement, shared through the university’s official Instagram account, arrives at a time when HBCUS are drawing new attention from private donors. Scott, one of the world’s most prominent philanthropists, has given billions of dollars in unrestricted gifts to educational institutions, community programs, and racial equity initiatives.

In Alabama, where 14 HBCUs operate—more than in any other state—ASU stands as the second-largest, behind Alabama A&M University.

This donation follows several other high-profile gifts from Scott to schools serving students of color. Earlier this month, BET reported that she contributed $70 million to the United Negro College Fund, which supports 37 HBCUs, and $42 million to 10,000 Degrees, a nonprofit that helps first-generation college students. Those funds, like the new Alabama State donation, were given without restrictions, allowing recipients to allocate resources where they are most needed.

Founded in 1867, Alabama State University was established for newly freed African Americans seeking education after the Civil War. Originally known as the Lincoln Normal School for Colored Students, the institution was created in Marion, Alabama, by nine formerly enslaved men. These founders, now known as the “Marion Nine,” raised funds through the Black community to create a school that would empower future generations through learning.

In 1887, the state legislature moved the school to Montgomery, transforming it into a public teacher’s college and renaming it The State Normal School for Colored Students. That relocation cemented the university’s presence in the capital city, where it would grow into one of the South’s most influential historically Black universities. Over the decades, Alabama State expanded beyond its original mission of teacher training to include degrees in business, science, the arts, and health professions.

The university became a training ground for civil rights leaders and activists who shaped the struggle for racial equality in Alabama and across the nation. Many students and faculty played pivotal roles in the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955–56, including faculty member Jo Ann Robinson, who helped organize the protest. The campus also served as a hub for voter registration drives and community organizing throughout the 1960s.