The extraordinary gift from Mellody Hobson announced last week marks an important next chapter in addressing the legacy of Woodrow Wilson on campus and expanding opportunity at the University and beyond.

The gift will bring a new residential college to the University, allowing generations of Princetonians to proudly say they are affiliated with Hobson College. As the 1991 alumna said, the gift is an “effort to change the narrative.”

It certainly already achieved that goal, as news of the first residential college at Princeton named for a Black woman — to be built on the site of First College, formerly known as Wilson College — has garnered national media attention from a wide range of outlets.

Hobson says of the gift:

“My hope is that my name will remind future generations of students — especially those who are Black and brown and the ‘firsts’ in their families — that they too belong. Renaming Wilson College is my very personal way of letting them know that our past does not have to be our future.”

Keep reading below for more on Hobson’s forward-thinking commitment to the University.

Stay safe and healthy.

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