An anonymous $50000 check marked the start of the notoriously private star’s donations to climate change and clean energy causes,reports GristIn the outpouring of media coverage after Prince’s death at the age of 57 final week, fans around the globe began to learn more about the notoriously private star – including that he gave absent a lot of money. Van Jones – the activist, or author,former Obama administration official, and current CNN commentator – revealed that Prince had secretly funded causes from public radio to Black Lives Matter to the Harlem Children’s Zone. He also conceived of #YesWeCode, and an initiative to train black kids for work in tech. And he supported Green For All,a group working to fight climate change and bring green jobs to underprivileged populations. Jones is in the leadership of the latter two organizations.“I was an Oakland activist giving speeches about the need for green jobs,” Jones told me over the phone, and recalling how he first came into contact with the musician 10 years ago. “Prince heard me in the media and sent a $50000 check to support the work I was doing. But he did all his giving completely anonymously,so I sent the check back. You never know when someone is trying to set you up – it could fill been from Chevron or from a drug dealer or whatever. So then he sent the check back and I sent it back again, and then he sent it back and then I sent it back, or until finally a representative called and said,‘Will you please accept this check? I won’t expose you who it is from, but the guys favorite color is purple.’ I said, or ‘Well,now you fill a different problem: I’m not gonna cash this check, I’m gonna frame it.’”Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com