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By Lookout Staff

June 19, 2020 -- Santa Monica College (SMC) announced a new endowment Friday named in honor of George Floyd, the black man killed by police in Minneapolis last month.

The George Perry Floyd, Jr. Scholarship for Racial and Social Justice
was started with a $20,000 gift to the Santa Monica College Foundation from anonymous donors, one of them an SMC alum.

The goal is to raise $100,000 by May 25, 2021, the anniversary of Floyd’s death, which triggered nationwide protests calling for major police reforms.

The scholarship will offer a $2,500 award over two years to black students to help offset the cost of tuition, books and living expenses while attending SMC, Foundation officials said.

To qualify, students must have attended a high school in Los Angeles County and enrolled at SMC as a first-year, full-time student.

“We are honored to be the recipients of such generosity and hope for our students," said Lizzy Moore, SMC Foundation President and Dean of Institutional Advancement.

"Establishing a scholarship with the intention of providing critical support to students of African descent is a critical philanthropic action by the donors.

“The humanity and forward-thinking attitude of this gift is emblematic of how important it is to continue to keep the spotlight on the need for racial and social justice for all persons of color. Today,” Moore said.

Santa Monica College gave a total of $712,403 in scholarships to more than 500 students during the 2019-2020 academic year, with awards ranging from $250 to $30,000, school officials said.

The new scholarship is one of 11 new endowments established this year at SMC, along with 10 new annual scholarships. Currently, the SMC Foundation manages more than 400 different scholarship funds.

More information about SMC’s many scholarships, including the new George Perry Floyd, Jr. Scholarship and how to support its endowment, is available on the SMC Foundation webpage at santamonicacollegefoundation.org.