Recently, Common stopped by the Renaissance School of Arts in Harlem to present a gift of $10,000 to its students.
Teaming up with Burlington Coat factory Stores and the AdoptAClassroom.org initiative, the Chicago rapper’s donation will go towards the purchasing of art and science supplies.
“I always felt like one of my biggest duties and purposes is to hit the youth with something that’s inspiring, hit young people with something that can motivate them to be in their greatness,” the 45-year-old told the Asscoaited Press after the presentation.
While there, Common’s mother, Dr. Mahalia Hines who is also an educator and a member of Chicago’s Board of Education, took the chance to note the difficulties teachers often face without the proper resources.
“A lot of the materials you needed to teach, we weren’t given the money to do it so you just went out and bought your own,” Hines remarked. “If you had to have notebooks…you bought them because there were many lessons you definitely would have not been able to do without them.”
