Ralph Lauren launches US scholarship programmes for historically black colleges and universities
The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation has pledged to commit $2 million to supporting scholarships for black, African and African American students.
In a statement, the organisation said the scholarships will build on Ralph Lauren’s commitments to address systemic racism and racial injustice by creating more pathways for equity within the fashion sector and beyond.
Ralph Lauren, executive chairman and chief creative officer of Ralph Lauren Corporation, said: “Students represent the best of the human spirit – passion, curiosity and boundless dreams. When all students have an equal chance to succeed, their dreams become realities and inspire us all.”
The scholarships will benefit students at US colleges Morehouse and Spelman as well as eligible students at additional historically black colleges and universities through the United Negro College Fund. Those institutions will be selected using criteria such as current unmet funding needs, enrolment rates, proximity to Ralph Lauren Corporation’s US operation centres and institutions that have disciplines and curriculums that foster careers in the retail sector.
Roseann Lynch, Ralph Lauren Corporation’s chief people officer and head of the Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation, added: “The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation works to make the dream of a better life a reality by championing equity and investing in historically underserved communities. Our hope is that these scholarships will deepen pathways of access to education for our future leaders and help enable them to pursue their own dreams.”
