Spelman just announced that they will match Stryker’s generous donation of up to $2 million.
What We Know:
- While announcing his donation, billionaire philanthropist Jon Stryker praised the school saying, “Spelman College has long been at the forefront of LGBTQ inclusion and education among HBCUs”.
- Stryker told Forbes that he hopes the chair will inspire more people to accept and support the LGBT community. He stated, “By empowering and educating the next generation, we can help make a future where LGBTQ people have full and equal protections under the law.”
- The chair will be named after Audre Lorde, a renowned lesbian poet, writer, and activist. Some of the major themes explored in her work include feminism, womanism, love and identity.
- The chair will work closely with the Women’s Studies Program. It will allow students to delve further into queer education in conjunction with the current curriculum.
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Jonathan Rollins and Beth Lorde Rollins, Lorde’s children, praised Stryker saying, “We salute Jon Stryker’s vision and his commitment to Queer Studies, and believe that Spelman is the ideal home for the Audre Lorde Chair in Queer Studies. Our mother was deeply committed to LGBTQ youth and believed passionately in the power of scholarship, which to her meant learning plus excellence.”
What a time to be a Jaguar!
