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The road to hell is paved with good intentions, and Jay-Z may just be on his way after a new initiative for Philadelphia schools.
Beyonce‘s husband and his company Roc Nation announced a $300M educational campaign for low-income Philadelphia students, PEOPLE reports. And the internet had a lot to say about it.
According to the X streets, Mr. Carter‘s initiative builds on a problematic Republican-backed plan to gut public school funding and negatively impact the children who attend them. Pulitzer prize winner Nikole Hannah-Jones helped to break down the issue with the move.
“Stop playing with us. Not only do students who go to private schools on vouchers not perform better, 1 out of 5 leaves the private school and actually see improved academic results by returning to the public school,” she wrote.
Roc Nation pitched the idea as a continuation of their relationship with the city of Brotherly Love. Philly has also played host to their Made In America festival since 2012.
“We have enjoyed such a special connection with Philadelphians, so we’ve made it our mission to invest in the long-term success of the city’s changemakers,” Roc Nation Managing Director of Philanthropy Dania Diaz said in a statement. “Impact starts with the students and with awareness. We want to empower the youth and families with the knowledge to pursue their scholastic dreams, make their voices heard and become the leaders of tomorrow.”
Still, many feel that the initiative completely misses the mark and instead harms the students who would benefit most from increased funding. The money is also, reportedly, not coming directly from either Jay-Z or Roc Nation but Philadelphia taxpayers.
The proposed school voucher program has happened in other urban cities where charter schools have overtaken public schools amid massive closures and underfunding.
Here’s to hoping the “Hard Knock Life” artist is simply playing checkers not chess. Only time will tell.