“If we don’t support our own institutions, who will? Our future depends on it.” – Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole
In a society where celebrity controversy often overshadows institutional legacy, the recent $10 million legal settlement offer by Shannon Sharpe is notable not just for its allegations, but for what it inadvertently reveals about the chasm between Black celebrity wealth and the underfunded institutions that shape it.
Sharpe, an NFL Hall of Famer turned sports media luminary, is embroiled in a sexual assault lawsuit in April 2025 that has added fuel to the fodder over his public image for years. The allegations, dating back to 2021, accused him of sexual assault and misconduct. Though the terms of the settlement do not admit guilt, the figure—$10 million—is enough to reverberate well beyond the courtroom. Particularly for Savannah State University, Sharpe’s alma mater, whose entire endowment hovers just north of $12 million.
That a single lawsuit settlement could nearly eclipse the full financial endowment of a university—an institution that has educated generations of Black students since its founding in 1890—demands attention. It is more than legal coincidence; it is cultural commentary. Sharpe’s settlement and Savannah State’s endowment share more than proximity in value—they reflect a profound misalignment between individual Black success and collective Black institutional health.
Celebrity Capitalism vs. Institutional Capital
Sharpe’s alleged settlement offer arrives at a time when he is more visible than ever. From ESPN panels to viral podcast interviews, he has crafted a new media identity grounded in charisma, cultural commentary, and athletic credibility. He is a multimillionaire many times over, and for much of the public, a figure of Black excellence.
And yet, while the scandal has put his reputation into question, the institutional damage is more structural than sensational. Savannah State University, like most HBCUs, remains chronically underfunded. In Georgia, the flagship University of Georgia enjoys an endowment exceeding $1.8 billion. Savannah State’s $12 million looks less like a war chest than a coin jar.
This contrast is not unique. Harvard’s endowment, currently over $50 billion, generates more passive income in a single day than most HBCUs earn annually. Meanwhile, Black cultural, entertainment, and sports figures continue to accumulate individual wealth—largely without corresponding reinvestment in the institutions that launched their journeys.
In Sharpe’s case, it is particularly jarring. He has long spoken with pride about Savannah State, often positioning his ascent from a small HBCU to NFL stardom as proof of grit, talent, and perseverance. But the question remains: can Black America afford to celebrate individual ascent while its institutions struggle to survive?
Institutions as the Forgotten Priority
The logic of endowments is simple: they are long-term capital. Through careful management, they yield investment income that sustains a university’s operations—faculty salaries, scholarships, research grants, infrastructure. A $12 million endowment, assuming a 5% annual drawdown, provides just $600,000 per year. That’s not enough to fund a single major building renovation or hire a cohort of tenure-track faculty.
Yet for a fraction of what he has paid in legal settlements, Sharpe—or any number of successful HBCU alumni—could fundamentally change the trajectory of such institutions. This is not to single out Sharpe, but to highlight the imbalance. In an ideal world, the very wealth that is now being paid out in settlements would be instead building libraries, research labs, and scholarship funds.
This tension is particularly visible among athletes and entertainers. Black America’s most visible ambassadors often emerge from institutions that are themselves invisible in the national philanthropic conversation. According to UNCF, the combined endowments of all HBCUs total less than $5 billion. The Ivies, by contrast, hold over $200 billion in endowment assets.
Culture, Crisis, and the Limits of Individualism
Sharpe’s settlement speaks to more than a personal reckoning—it is a cultural moment. It raises questions about power, accountability, and how society arbitrates guilt and innocence outside the courtroom. But for the Black community, it should also prompt deeper reflection on how fame and fortune are managed—and how institutions are too often left behind.
There is a troubling pattern: institutions that produce Black talent are celebrated in name, while being abandoned in practice. Alumni homecomings become nostalgic affairs, rich in ritual but poor in revenue. HBCUs are used as cultural references in music and fashion, but rarely as investment priorities.
The result is that even as African Americans make gains in representation and cultural power, their institutions remain at risk of irrelevance or collapse. The stakes are not merely educational—they are existential. Without strong institutions, there can be no sustainable community power.
What a $10 Million Gift Would Mean
Imagine instead that $10 million were a donation, not a payout. At Savannah State, that amount would nearly double the endowment overnight. It could launch a center for Black media studies, a school of sports journalism, or fund full scholarships for dozens of students. It could digitize archives, attract talent, and fund study-abroad programs that broaden horizons.
Better yet, it could serve as a challenge grant—a call for other high-profile HBCU alumni to match it, dollar for dollar. Such a campaign could transform the entire financial landscape of HBCUs in a single generation.
There is precedent. Oprah Winfrey’s $13 million donation to Morehouse College, Robert F. Smith’s debt forgiveness gesture at Morehouse’s graduation, and Reed Hastings’ $120 million donation to Spelman, Morehouse, and UNCF during the racial reckoning of 2020 showed what’s possible. But sporadic generosity is not a strategy. What’s needed is a systemic culture of giving—an institutional ethos that reorients Black wealth toward Black infrastructure.
Moving from Scandal to Structure
Sharpe, like many public figures, is navigating a complex personal and professional moment. Settling a case of this magnitude inevitably invites scrutiny. But what comes next is more important. Can this moment be a catalyst—not just for personal reflection, but for public responsibility?
Celebrity scandals are ephemeral. Institutions, if cared for, are permanent. The opportunity now is for Sharpe—and others in similar positions—to pivot toward legacy-building. That means using their platforms not only to defend their names, but to elevate their alma maters. To protect not just brand equity, but intellectual capital. To trade spectacle for structure.
A Future Worth Investing In
Savannah State University is not just a school—it is a symbol of survival, intellect, and potential. Its alumni include judges, scientists, teachers, engineers, and businesspeople. It deserves more than to be a footnote in a celebrity controversy. It deserves capital, vision, and strategic philanthropy.
In the end, the numbers don’t lie. A $10 million lawsuit may capture headlines. But a $12 million endowment defines futures. The question is not what Shannon Sharpe did or didn’t do—but what he and others like him will do next.
If fame is fleeting and fortune unpredictable, then perhaps the wisest investment is the one that cannot be taken away: the institutions that built you.
HBCU Money 
Another great post!!