Historic AME school receives major gift to aid revitalization efforts
In late September, Wilberforce University received a gift of $1.2 million from an anonymous donor to launch a matching gift initiative for its #WilberforceUnite campaign. The African Methodist Episcopal–affiliated school—the oldest historically black college in the nation—has been trying to raise funds since being placed on probation by a regional accreditation agency earlier this year due to its ongoing financial struggles.
“This gift is tangible recognition that the Wilberforce University renaissance is real,” university president Elfred Anthony Pinkard told the Christian Recorder, the AME Church’s official newspaper. “As a university community, we are absolutely committed to the hard work required for institutional transformation. Our work has begun in earnest, and this gift serves as an urgent reminder that we must remain vigilant and focused on excellence and high performance.”
Financial and legal struggles have plagued the school for years.
