April 17, 2023
Lil Durk Launches the Durk Banks Scholarship Fund at Howard University
Chicago-bred recording artist Lil Durk is giving back to two Chicago students in a partnership with his charitable organization, Amazon, and Howard University.
According to Billboard, the Chicago rapper and his non-profit organization, Neighborhood Heroes Foundation, announced that he has launched the Durk Banks Scholarship Fund in conjunction with Amazon Music’s Rotation. Lil Durk also placed the news on his Instagram account over the weekend.
“I’m the voice; this the part they don’t show, I appreciate all the kids who struggling to finish school and needed this blessing ……. #almosthealed @amazonmusic @howard1867 @billboard @rotation”
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Two students from Chicago will benefit from the scholarship fund as the rapper will give them $50,000, which will be used toward their freshman tuition when they enroll at Howard University.
The popular rapper spoke to Billboard about the financial blessing he is presenting to the lucky students.
“Change the narrative,” Lil Durk said. “It’s stuff we never got a chance to do or somebody never did for us. A lot of people don’t do it as far as the music era that we’re in. In my age range, it’s more toward, ‘Let’s go feed them turkeys, let’s go feed them meals.’ My team came together where we turned it up a notch. I wanted to come up with something that was different and impactful.”
Lil Durk isn’t just stopping at the $50,000 apiece. He also donated $250,000 to help Chicago students eligible for Howard’s Graduation Retention Access to Continued Excellence (GRACE) Grant. A program that helps keep students on course to graduation by offering financial assistance.
“For me to boost them up and get them to the next level, it was like a no-brainer,” he stated. “And this scholarship was a super-no-brainer for me. For me and my team, having my own scholarship is like a Grammy.”
In addition to the financial windfall he is providing to Chicgao students, Durk spent $100,000 on a trip for 20 high school students when they visited Howard University last week. This past weekend, the Chicago rapper performed as the headliner for Howard University’s Springfest 2023.