George Lucas Just Awoke His Own Forces, and the Result Will Be Glorious

By Cindy Davis | Celebrity | October 29, 2015 |

By Cindy Davis | Celebrity | October 29, 2015 |

His Star Wars prequels may not be your favorite, but you’ve gotta adore George Lucas’ Jedi heart. The director who’s also known for his philanthropy is well-aware of the hurdles in Hollywood, and he’s not just talking about making change; Lucas is effecting it.

Through the George Lucas Foundation, Lucas and his wife Mellody Hobson have donated $10 million to help recruit and provide aid to minority students at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. The grant — the biggest donation received to directly support students — is aimed at expanding the school’s diversity, and will be split evenly between female and male African American and Hispanic students, both at the undergraduate and graduate level.

In a statement, Lucas called it a privilege to support the school:

“Hispanic and African American storytellers are underrepresented in the entertainment industry. 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.”

At a time where we’re all talking about the industry’s disparity, it’s beyond cool and heartwarming to see one of the top people in his field not only recognize that change needs to happen, but to actually do something about it.

Cindy Davis, (Twitter)