11/15/2025
When MacKenzie Scott was a student at Princeton, she studied creative writing with Nobel Prize–winning author Toni Morrison. In those classes, it was not just about writing. Toni taught her students to notice people, their voices, and the stories that reveal their struggles and dreams. Those lessons stayed with MacKenzie for the rest of her life.
MacKenzie's journey was not easy. Her family went bankrupt before Princeton. While waitressing in New York after college in 1992, she struggled to pay rent and wrote to Toni through letters preserved in the Toni Morrison Papers at Princeton University. She continued writing and eventually published two novels.
Toni Morrison passed away on August 5, 2019 at 88 years old. Her belief in empathy and humanity lives on through MacKenzie Scott's extraordinary giving. To date, she has donated more than $19.25 billion to schools, nonprofits, and communities in need. This includes $1.06 billion donated to historically Black colleges and universities, according to official announcements from HBCUs and the UNCF reviewed by Stay Inspired News. Their story reminds all of us how one teacher's care can inspire a lifetime of compassion.
stayinspirednews.com/mackenzie-scotts-college-professor-toni-morrison-inspired-her-to-give-away-billions
📸 (Photo: Sara Krulwich/NYT/Redux | Elena Seibert)
