11/09/2025
When MacKenzie Scott was a student at Princeton, she studied creative writing with Nobel Prize–winning author Toni Morrison. In those classes, it wasn't just about writing. Toni taught her students to notice people, their voices, and the stories that reveal their struggles and dreams. Those lessons stayed with MacKenzie for the rest of her life.
MacKenzie's journey wasn't easy. Her family went bankrupt before Princeton. While waitressing in New York after college in 1992, she struggled to pay rent and wrote to Toni through letters preserved in the Toni Morrison Papers at Princeton University. She continued writing and eventually published two novels.
Toni Morrison passed away on August 5, 2019 at 88 years old. Her belief in empathy and humanity lives on through MacKenzie Scott's extraordinary giving. To date, she has donated over $19.25 billion to schools, nonprofits, and communities in need, including $1.06 billion to historically Black colleges and universities. Their story reminds all of us how one teacher's care can inspire a lifetime of compassion.
stayinspirednews.com/mackenzie-scotts-college-professor-toni-morrison-inspired-her-to-give-away-billions
📸 (Photo: Sara Krulwich/NYT/Redux | Princeton University)
