Austin FC and several of the expansion club’s partners have donated $20,000 to Huston-Tillotson University’s Persistence Is Power student initiative as part of this year’s Black History Month.
Huston-Tillotson is Austin’s first university (founded in 1875) and is the city’s only Historically Black College and University (HBCU).
“This year, as our club celebrates Black History Month and the achievements of Austin’s Black community, Austin FC and our founding partners are collectively taking action,” Austin FC president Andy Loughnane said in a release. “Through this investment in Huston-Tillotson University, we are investing in Black Austin and the HT students of today who will become the leaders of Austin tomorrow.”
Austin FC’s founding partners include YETI, Q2, St. David’s HealthCare and Netspend. They’re all collaboratively investing in the city’s Black community, hoping to provide opportunities for brighter futures.
Kaitlin Swarts, Austin FC’s vice president of community impact and executive director of 4ATX Foundation, offered perspective on what the donation to Huston-Tillotson will provide.
“In speaking with the leaders at Huston-Tillotson University, one of the most impressive things I learned about HT students is they’re taught that persistence is power,” Swarts said in a release. “Forty percent of HT students are the first in their families to go to college.
“The difference a college education can make in their lives and their families’ lives is exponential. And while change doesn’t happen overnight, through the power of persistence and with the support of an institution like HT, these students can go on to do great things and shape our community.”
In the coming weeks, Austin FC and their founding partners will share stories of Huston-Tillotson’s legacy and promote efforts around Black History Month and equality in Austin.
