"Star Wars" filmmaker George Lucas and wife Mellody Hobson donated $10 million to the University of Southern California to support diversity in film initiatives on Oct. 28, according to CNN Money.
The "Indiana Jones" creator and his wife are supporting USC's initiative to increase the careers of minorities' in screen, Biz Journals reported.
USC's School of Cinematic Arts will earmark the $10 million donation to help students of color, such as Latino and black students, noted The YBF.
"Hispanic and African American storytellers are underrepresented in the entertainment industry,” Lucas said in a statement. “It is Mellody’s and my privilege to provide this assistance to qualified students who want to contribute their unique experience and talent to telling their stories.”
The $10 million endowment is the largest single donation for student support in USC's history, reported Biz Journals.
USC President C.L. Max Nikias said The George Lucas Foundation Endowed Student Support Fund for Diversity will be awarded to both undergraduate and graduate students, according to CNN Money.
"George Lucas and Mellody Hobson are inspiring leaders in their fields, and tremendous friends to the USC community," Nikias said. "This gift will nurture the next generation of artists, supporting scholarships that enhance access in the cinematic arts, while bringing new and diverse voices and stories into our lives."
The "American Graffiti" writer and director graduated from USC in 1966. In 2006 he donated $175 million to his alma mater. Seventy-five million of that donation went to rebuilding the cinema school. USC has raised $4.5 billion of its $6 billion fundraising campaign, the Biz Journals noted.
