Durk “Lil’ Durk” Banks’s nonprofit organization, Neighborhood Heroes, has reportedly partnered with Amazon Music and Howard University to launch a scholarship fund for Chicago-area students. The Durk Banks Scholarship Fund will provide two Chicago-area students with $50,000 scholarships as they make their way to Washington, D.C.’s storied academic institution.
“Change the narrative,” Lil’ Durk told Billboard when asked about his decision to start the scholarship fund.
“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.”
In addition to providing scholarships for two students, Lil’ Durk is also donating $250,000 to Howard University’s Graduation Retention Access to Continued Excellence Grant. The GRACE Grant offers funds to students in need of financial support on their path toward graduation.
“For me to boost them up and get them to the next level, it was like a no-brainer,” he added.
“And this scholarship was a super-no-brainer for me. For me and my team, having my own scholarship is like a Grammy.”
