The world is still in a state of shock about the untimely death of music icon, Prince Rogers Nelson. His death came unexpectedly in his Paisley Park studio complex located in Minneapolis. The cause of death is yet undetermined, however, news reports speculate that flu-like symptons and/or an overdose of pain killers were the cause. An autopsy on Prince is scheduled for today (Friday). As millions of fans mourn his death, we can’t help but think about how much Prince gave back to the community. His philanthropic efforts helped several organizations whose purpose is to educate the youth and build economically strong communities. Rebuild the Dream was one of those initiatives. RTD was responsible for mobilizing people in the community – moms, dads, brothers, sisters, seniors – and rebuild the environment and economy. In 2011, Prince donated $250,000 to Eau Claire Promise Zone. The grassroots coalition used Princes’ donation to ensure underpriviledged kids are prepared for college. But, that’s not all. Prince also kept a close eye on the injustices of African-Americans and supported the #BlackLivesMatter movement. In 2015, Prince put on the Rally 4 Peace concert in Baltimore, Maryland. He donated the proceeds from the concert to the NAACP Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) to help Baltimore youth. Additionally, funds were given to the City of Baltimore’s YouthWorks Program, through the Baltimore City Foundation. The ACT-SO program is designed to recruit, stimulate, and encourage high academic and cultural achievement among African-American high school students. A lot of Prince’s charity work wasn’t announced in the media. He was a private man. However, there were many causes Prince is said to have supported: Elton John AIDS Foundation, Goss-Michael Foundation, Jazz Foundation of America, City of Hope, Edith Couey Memorial Scholarship Trust Fund, and many more. Photo credit: Billboard
