Meek Mill partnered with Kevin Hart and ex-Philadelphia 76ers co-owner Michael Rubin to make a significant financial contribution to schools in Philadelphia.
According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, the trio released a statement on Monday (Jan. 9) that said the group is donating $7 million collectively to 60 “private and parochial schools in need.” They said most of the funds are going toward scholarships for low-income students at private schools in the 2023-24 school year.
When the news broke, Meek, a Philly native, went on Twitter to express his excitement for this philanthropic effort. Along with the link to the story from the Inquirer, the “Dreams and Nightmares” rapper wrote: “Gotta get the whole trap booming too… We come from public schools side!!!!!”
Gotta get the whole trap booming too … we come from public schools side!!!!! https://t.co/DJRjjTo7pS
— MeekMill (@MeekMill) January 10, 2023
In addition to the scholarships, the donation will also cover the cost of laptops, tablets, WiFi connections and other classroom resources.
Meek and Hart attended city public schools in Philadelphia. Rubin, the billionaire Fanatics CEO and former part-owner of Sixers, grew up in Lafayette Hill, but resides in Bryn Mawr.
Arianne Antonio, the spokesperson for the collective, said Pennsylvania’s largest scholarship organization, the Business Leadership Organized for Catholic Schools (BLOCS), will administer the money but did not reveal which schools are receiving the funds. He added that the beneficiaries will primarily be in the neighborhoods that raised Hart and Meek, South and North Philadelphia.
To apply for the scholarships, families must provide proof of income and demographics showing their eligibility to receive funding through the Educational Improvement Tax Credit program. Applications are handled by a third-party vendor, in which details were not made available.
This donation is not the first time the group made an effort to improve the Philadelphia education system. Last year, they dispersed $15 million to over 100 schools in the area. Last fall, Hart visited Robert Morris Elementary in North Philadelphia and gave $150,000 to the school districts for more books.
Meek’s charity goes beyond the school systems. Right before Christmas, he paid the bail for 20 incarcerated women, allowing them to spend the holidays with their families.