Clark Atlanta University’s Homecoming brought over $1.5 million in donor gifts
11/07/2022
Atlanta, GA (November 2, 2022) - Clark Atlanta University’s Wakanda-themed homecoming, Clark Atlanta Forever, brought an unprecedented $1.5 million from over 1600 donors. Top contributing sponsors include PUMA, who gifted the university with a $1 million donation, and Amazon, who contributed $50,000. Other significant contributions included $25,000 from Meta, and $10,000 donations from Hibbett Sports, Disney, and CR Health, respectively. In addition to these tremendous gifts, Clark Atlanta received other contributions from various events during homecoming week, including the inaugural 40 under 40 Young Alumni Achievement Awards, which drew in over $144,000 and contained a $50,000 donation from a CAU alum. Donations received through homecoming will be used to provide scholarships to Clark Atlanta University students.
“We are extremely pleased that our alumni, sponsors, and partners have given generously to our university,” said Dr. Richard Lucas, vice-president of Institutional Advancement. “These donations and sponsorships will go a long way in helping to support our students in their educational goals and career trajectories, and we look forward to building additional partner and donor relationships in the future for the betterment of Clark Atlanta University.”
The first in-person homecoming since 2019 garnered over 8,000 students, alums, and visitors to Clark Atlanta’s campus and received national recognition in various news and media publications, including a feature in Ebony Magazine, which showcased Clark Atlanta University’s Black excellence, pride, legacy, and roots. Additionally, Clark Atlanta launched its first official homecoming events website, detailing day-to-day activities throughout homecoming week. Key events featured during the week’s festivities include a Puma Experience, a comedy show, a hip-hop concert, the Royal Court Coronation, a pep rally, and a Friday Night Live event sponsored by Instagram that exceeded $131,000 in homecoming sponsorship. The week wrapped up with an all-white gospel brunch spotlighting a live performance by recording artist Koryn Hawthorne and ended with a Midday Madness Alum basketball game that received $140,000 in support of the men’s and women’s basketball teams.
To learn more about Clark Atlanta University’s donor campaign for homecoming and to contribute, visit https://homecomingatcau.com/.
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About Clark Atlanta University
Clark Atlanta University was formed with the consolidation of Atlanta University and Clark College, both of which hold unique places in the annals of African American history. Atlanta University, established in 1865 by the American Missionary Association, was the nation’s first institution to award graduate degrees to African Americans. Clark College, established four years later in 1869, was the nation’s first four-year liberal arts college to serve a primarily African American student population. Today, with nearly 4,000 students, CAU is the largest of the four institutions (CAU, Morehouse College, Spelman College, and Morehouse School of Medicine) that comprise the Atlanta University Center Consortium. It is also the largest of the 37-member UNCF institutions. Notable alumni include: James Weldon Johnson; American civil rights activist, poet, and songwriter (Lift Every Voice and Sing “The Black National Anthem”; Ralph David Abernathy Sr., American civil rights activist; Congressman Hank
Johnson, Georgia District 4; Kenya Barris, American award-winning television and movie producer; Kenny Leon, Tony Award-winning Broadway Director; Jacque Reid, Emmy Award-winning Television Personality and Journalist; Brandon Thompson, Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion for NASCAR; Valeisha Butterfield Jones, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at the Recording Academy. To learn more about Clark Atlanta University, visit www.cau.edu.