SALISBURY, NC – The road to higher education philanthropy seems to lead to Salisbury’s only HBCU: Livingstone College president, Dr. Anthony J. Davis, announced during the college’s 143rd commencement ceremony on May 3 that another seven-figure gift had been received, this time to support green energy as part of Davis’s “Miracle on Monroe Street” campus revitalization plan.
The gift of more than $1.5 million, made by an anonymous donor, will be used to install solar panels on the campus. The gift comes just three months after the college received $10 million for residence hall and dining hall enhancements, and brings the total amount money raised by Davis to approximately $43 million since he was named president in 2022.
“Bringing green energy to the campus of Livingstone College is our contribution to mitigating the impact of climate change on our planet,” Davis said.
Livingstone joins HBCU movement
Livingstone joins regional HBCU siblings – like North Carolina A&T State University, Benedict College and Claflin University – in the fight against climate change both inside and outside of the classroom.
In addition to installing solar panels on the campus, Livingstone undergraduates are conducting environmental research on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS or “forever chemicals”, and their contamination in the soil, tap and bottled water in Rowan County.
Livingstone’s environmental efforts have not only inspired the anonymous donor to contribute millions toward the college’s green energy, they also have caught the attention of the Sierra Club’s executive director, Ben Jealous, who visited the college in April to speak during the annual honors awards ceremony and spend time with students.
Davis said the donor’s investment indicates a continued confidence in the research and work that HBCUs like Livingstone are engaged in, despite federal funding sources for environmental research and responsibility being at risk of reduction or elimination.
“Investments like this are why Livingstone will move into the ranks of the top 20 HBCUs in the nation,” Davis said. “Transformational gifts are just one way that our supporters demonstrate their belief in our future. Our college is poised to impact our region, our country and our nation in an unbelievable way.”
