The McMillan-Stewart Foundation Invests $300,000 in Texas Southern University

Non-profit Honors the Legacy of Public Service and Equity at Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs

The Geneviève McMillan-Reba Stewart Foundation has invested $300,000 in Texas Southern University to establish the Geneviève McMillan-Reba Stewart Foundation Endowment. This gift will be matched by the Texas Southern University Office of Civil Rights Scholarship Matching Fund, creating a total endowment of $600,000.

The newly established endowment will support scholarships for students in the Barbara Jordan–Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs, continuing the university’s mission of developing future leaders dedicated to public service.

“This generous gift from the Geneviève McMillan-Reba Stewart Foundation reflects the power of philanthropy to create lasting change,” said Charlie Coleman, III, senior associate vice president of Development and Alumni Engagement. “By strengthening resources within the Barbara Jordan–Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs, this endowment ensures that Texas Southern University students will have expanded opportunities for generations to come. In honoring the legacy of two of our most distinguished alumni – Barbara Jordan and Mickey Leland – this gift also affirms our belief that the next great political leaders of this generation are being taught right here on the campus of Texas Southern University.” 

The McMillan-Stewart Foundation was established in 2001 in Baltimore to realize the vision of its founder, Geneviève McMillan, to support causes in the arts, civil and human rights, and equal justice, and to commemorate the life and work of her friend, artist Reba Stewart. The foundation works to eliminate racism in American society by developing the leadership capacity of African American youth.

“The Geneviève McMillan-Reba Stewart Foundation seeks to realize the vision of its founder, Geneviève McMillan, who supported the arts as a vehicle for understanding the diversity of human experience and believed that we should work for equality and justice for all,” said Kibebe Gizaw, president of the foundation. “It is in this spirit that we invest in Texas Southern University to prepare the next generation of leaders who embody those values.”

Students will be awarded by a selection committee established by the Office of Financial Aid. To be eligible, students must be in good standing, enrolled full-time either as an undergraduate or graduate student, and maintain a grade point average of 2.75 or above.