The City of High Point is very lucky to have High Point University – which educates a lot of youngsters, draws worldwide attention to the city and, oh yeah, is also known for its year-round charitable and service work that helps the city, the county and the region.

In another big gift that helps the city out, High Point University is donating $250,000 to Business High Point in order to support local minority entrepreneurs and to help develop the Washington Street Historic District in the city.

University President Nido Qubein said on Monday, Jan. 20, the donation honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s message of creating a “beloved community” for all residents.

 This donation comes right on the heels of another large one by the university: $100,000 the school recently donated to help the victims of Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina and the surrounding areas.

Qubein announced the newest donation for the city’s historic district in front of about 750 people who gathered inside the Nido and Mariana Qubein Arena and Conference Center for the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day breakfast hosted by the Ministers Conference of High Point and Vicinity.

High Point Mayor Cyril Jefferson and Business High Point President and CEO Rachel Collins were there as well and they joined Qubein on stage to accept the donation – which will go toward the city’s “Shop on Washington” initiative.

That project is an attempt to speed up the growth and economic success of minority- and women-owned businesses in High Point as well as to “assist entrepreneurs in fulfilling their dreams of opening their first brick-and-mortar spaces on Washington Street.”

 Qubein said the gift holds a greater meaning.

“High Point University understands the messaging and the learnings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” he said. “We understand that central to his teaching was that we all live in a beloved community, that we love each other and that God intended for all of us to be brothers and sisters. On this campus, we try every day and in every way to model those behaviors to our students. This donation will give more energy to the ‘Shop on Washington’ initiative and help make our community a better place.”

The City of High Point’s Washington Street District was, during the era of segregation, a highly vibrant entrepreneurial center that was also known as “Black Wall Street.”

The district was home to a wide variety of establishments like restaurants, retail stores, libraries, art galleries, museums, churches, architectural studios, dentists and doctors’ offices and hotels.

It was also the home of High Point’s renowned William Penn High School and the place where jazz legend John Coltrane grew up – in a house just off Washington Street. Coltrane worked at a soda shop at the Washington Street Pharmacy when he was a teenager.

Business High Point President and CEO Collins was delighted.

“The ‘Shop on Washington’ initiative not only fortifies our city’s economic foundation but also extends its impact regionally and statewide,” Collins said. “The historical significance of Washington Street in High Point cannot be understated. Business High Point-Chamber is honored to partner with Dr. Qubein and High Point University to underscore the importance of the continued and equitable growth that is occurring in High Point. This investment of $250,000 from High Point University will serve as the springboard to spur on further growth and investments from the community, which will ensure the sustainability of this impactful initiative.”

The Martin Luther King Jr. Day donation was a continuation of the school’s effort to support minority business owners in High Point: Just over four years ago, Qubein issued a challenge gift of up to $500,000 to the High Point Community Investment Campaign, which was then a new fund for minority entrepreneurs in the city.

He called on community investors to support the initiative.

This week’s donation for the Black Wall Street area comes right after a mid-January High Point University gift of $100,000 to Samaritan’s Purse to help the organization provide additional support to people who’ve been impacted by Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina as well as the wildfires raging across California.

Qubein presented that donation to Rev. Franklin Graham, president and CEO of Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, during Graham’s visit to campus on January 8.

“High Point University attracts students from all 50 states, including North Carolina and California, and we pray for the safety of everyone impacted by these tragic wildfires and the hurricane,” Qubein said. “It is saddening to see the destruction, and HPU wanted to partner with Samaritan’s Purse to provide relief to people who have had their homes destroyed and lives uprooted.”

Since 1970, Samaritan’s Purse has provided aid to people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease and famine across the world. The Christian organization’s West Coast Ministry Center is based in Fullerton, California – a little more than 30 miles from the Eaton Fire in Los Angeles.

Samaritan’s Purse has deployed crews to southern California and will soon begin sifting through the ashes there to help families search for belongings that may have survived.

“When there’s a fire, sometimes there are less than 15-20 minutes to evacuate — it’s not enough time to grab everything that’s important to you,” said Graham, the oldest son of American evangelist Billy Graham. “So many people have lost everything in this disaster, and we want to help them in their time of grief. When I recently visited President Qubein at High Point University, these fires were raging in California, and we decided this was the area of greatest need. I couldn’t be more grateful to HPU for this gift that will help us bring hope to southern California in Jesus’ Name.”

Also, for the victims of Hurricane Helene, Samaritan’s Purse is planning to provide 1,000 new fully furnished homes free of charge to people who lost their homes during the hurricane.

About