Universal Music Group (UMG) has announced a groundbreaking scholarship program aimed at supporting medical students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

Through this program, UMG hopes to promote diversity among healthcare professionals and increase the number of healthcare providers in underserved areas.

UMG’s Task Force for Meaningful Change aims to improve healthcare access in Black communities and will manage the scholarship program for over 50 deserving students across four medical campuses: Howard University, Morehouse School of Medicine, Meharry Medical College, and Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science.

TFMC identifies a “Super Priority” every year, guided by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG), and focuses on how the issue impacts Black and marginalized communities.

This new scholarship initiative was developed from the TFMC’s 2022 Super Priority, Public Health, and aims to widen the pipeline of Black medical practitioners.

The TFMC’s Public Health Advisory Board consists of national public health experts from different fields, including Dr. Roger A. Mitchell Jr. and Dr. Camara Jones.

The scholarships aim to widen the pipeline for Black and Brown physicians, thereby taking significant strides toward achieving equitable and culturally competent healthcare for all. The scholarship will also help ease the financial burden for deserving students.

The Meharry School of Medicine will use its donation to reward students with academic excellence, leadership service, and a dedication to serving vulnerable and underserved populations.

Morehouse School of Medicine will use the scholarships to target students who need financial support to serve in under-resourced urban and rural communities, providing health equity for those most in need.

The TFMC has also supported organizations servicing the Black community, including the Black Women’s Health Imperative, the Council on Black Health, the National Medical Association, the Society for the Analysis of African American Public Health Issues, ElevateMed, and Mentoring in Medicine.

Thank you to @UMG‘s Task Force for Meaningful Change for granting scholarships to medical students from the nation’s 4 historically black medical schools, including CDU.

Our heartfelt appreciation to UMG for championing the next generation of doctors!https://t.co/7pbKCYlzSZ pic.twitter.com/vMX3HQ4psf

— CDU (@cdrewu) September 15, 2023