Barber-Scotia College, a HBCU in Concord, North Carolina, is the focus of a new grassroots fundraising effort aimed at helping stabilize the institution and restore its long-term future.
The campaign, organized by the 144K Collective, is calling on 144,000 women across the country to donate $1.44 each to support the struggling Barber-Scotia campus. The initiative highlights both the historic importance of the HBCU and the urgent need for financial and community support to help it recover from years of financial challenges.
Barber-Scotia College was founded in 1867 and became one of the first institutions dedicated to the higher education of Black women. Supporters say saving the historic HBCU is about more than preserving a campus — it’s about protecting a legacy that helped educate generations of African American women.
Barber-Scotia’s historic mission
Advocates for Barber-Scotia say the college’s role in American and HBCU history makes its preservation critical. At a time when educational opportunities for Black women were severely limited, the Concord institution served as a pioneering space for leadership, scholarship and empowerment.
The 144K Collective is working to bring national attention to that legacy. The group hopes the $1.44 donation model will make participation accessible while encouraging large-scale collective action.
Kirbie Speights, secretary of the 144K Collective, said the campaign’s timing during Women’s History Month is intentional.
“There’s no better time to be a woman and to make an impact,” Speights told WCNC promoting the Barber-Scotia fundraising effort.
Supporters say the moment presents a powerful opportunity for women nationwide to help sustain one of the nation’s most historically significant HBCU campuses.
HBCU needs more than donations
While financial contributions are vital, leaders at Barber-Scotia say community involvement is just as important to the revival of the HBCU.
College officials are seeking volunteers and skilled professionals who can assist with maintenance projects around campus. Basic needs include landscaping, repairs and facility upkeep as the institution works toward rebuilding operations.
“If you want to take over handling the maintenance of the grass or the campus, I would receive that,” said Barber-Scotia President Chris V. Rey. “If you have access to individuals that can fix the roof — I need it all here in Barber-Scotia right now.”
Rey has also outlined the school’s path toward regaining accreditation, which the HBCU lost years ago during its financial struggles.
“We’ll submit an application to them,” Rey said. “They will send reviewers to the campus to make sure that we are an actual campus… and they will look at our finances to make sure that we are fiscally sound to operate as a college.”
Supporters hope the Barber-Scotia campaign will generate both the funding and momentum necessary to restore the historic HBCU to stability. Donations to support the effort are currently being collected through a campaign tied to the 144K Collective initiative.
My Mother and Aunt’s were classmates of Felicia Rashad and Debbie Allen’s Mother, Vivian Ayers. I was surrounded by Barber Scotia women growing up. I owe my Life to all of those women. And, to Barber Scotia. I definitely will be donating.