Will Smith, George Clinton and Bishop T.D. Jakes Helped Raise $10M for the Benjamin L. Crump College of Law at St. Thomas University

After the announcement of St. Thomas University renaming their institution after attorney Ben Crump, word has come out that three well-known individuals raised funds to support the university.

TMZ reported that the newly-named Benjamin L. Crump College of Law at St. Thomas University, located in Miami, received some financial blessings from the pockets of Bad Boys star, Will Smith; music legend, George Clinton; and Bishop T.D. Jakes. A total of $10 million was raised for the school through the contributions from these three figures.

The amount donated from each individual was not disclosed, but Smith did make an appearance at the naming ceremony that took place last week. The Wild, Wild West actor expressed the importance of being there with Crump when the school was renamed in his honor.

“Ben has been an absolutely spectacular friend and guide, and that’s why it was important for me to be here with him today,” Smith said as he stood by Crump at the podium.

“There are very, very few people in the world with a heart like this; so it is my deepest honor and my deepest pleasure to be here to support and to show some love. Congratulations on this historic honor.”Crump acknowledged the donations that will change lives.

“I was proud to share the stage with @willsmith – a benefactor of the groundbreaking Benjamin L. Crump College of Law at @stumiami – during the naming ceremony. It’s not an overstatement to say that lives will be changed because of the selflessness of the college’s donors.”

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BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported that the Benjamin L. Crump College of Law at St. Thomas University was the first law school in the country named after a practicing Black attorney. There is another law school named for a Black person, Crump’s personal hero, Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall.

Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton