HIGH POINT, N.C., Jan. 20, 2025 – High Point University is donating $250,000 to Business High Point to support local minority entrepreneurs and develop the Washington Street Historic District in the city of High Point. HPU President Nido Qubein said today’s donation honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s message of creating a “beloved community” for all residents.
Qubein announced the donation in front of approximately 750 community members 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 joined Qubein on stage to accept the donation, which will go toward the Shop on Washington initiative. The initiative strives to accelerate the growth and success of minority- and women-owned businesses in High Point and assist entrepreneurs in fulfilling their dreams of opening their first brick-and-mortar spaces on Washington Street.
“High Point University understands the messaging and the learnings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” Qubein 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.”
High Point’s Washington Street district once thrived as a vibrant entrepreneurial center known as “Black Wall Street” during the era of segregation. It was home to an array of establishments, including restaurants, retail stores, libraries, art galleries, museums, churches, architectural studios, dentist and doctor offices, hotels and the renowned William Penn High School. Jazz legend John Coltrane grew up in a house just off Washington Street and worked as a soda jerk at the Washington Street Pharmacy as a teenager.
“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.”
Today’s donation continues HPU’s efforts to support minority businessowners in High Point. In October of 2020, Qubein issued a challenge gift up to $500,000 to the High Point Community Investment Campaign, which was then a new fund for minority entrepreneurs in the city. He also called on community investors to support the initiative.
“High Point University and Dr. Qubein have once again demonstrated their extraordinary vision and commitment to our community’s success,” Jefferson said. “In 2020, their generous $500,000 gift was the very first investment in what would become Thrive High Point, inspiring confidence from others and catalyzing considerable additional support. Today, their $250,000 investment in the Shop on Washington initiative builds on that legacy, fueling revitalization efforts on Washington Street and creating new opportunities for entrepreneurs to flourish. This partnership continues to inspire and drive meaningful change in High Point.”
Photo: 1) High Point University is donating $250,000 to Business High Point to support local minority entrepreneurs and develop the Washington Street Historic District in the city of High Point. Pictured from the left are HPU President Nido Qubein; Dr. Telisha Roberts, executive director of Thrive High Point; Rachel Collins, president and CEO of Business High Point; High Point Mayor Cyril Jefferson; and Rev. Dr. Daniel Webb, pastor of Beyond the Walls Ministries and president of the Ministers Conference of High Point and Vicinity.