Three years ago, the city of Houston declared November 18 Astroworld Day as a way to honor Travis Scott, the hometown hero who grew up in the nearby Missouri City suburb. Today, on the third annual Travis Scott Day, Scott announced the launch of his Cactus Jack Foundation to give back to Houston. The foundation is named — as much of his branding is — for Travis’ grandfather, although there is a WWE wrestler who formerly went by that name.
According to a press release, the foundation’s first major initiative is the formation of The Waymon Webster Scholarship — also named for Travis’ grandfather, who attended Prairie View A&M University in Texas, an HBCU. The fund will pay for students struggling with tuition due to the pandemic. Travis hand-picked the recipients from the HBCUs Grambling State University (his mom’s alma mater), Howard University, Morehouse College, Prairie View A&M, and Texas Southern University.
The press release also provides the Cactus Jack Foundation’s mission statement:
The mission of the Cactus Jack Foundation is to empower and enrich the lives of youth by providing access to education and creative resources to ensure long term success. The foundation believes the youth should not be prevented from attaining their lifetime goal and is committed to extending educational opportunities to all, regardless of their circumstances to achieve their dreams.
Travis explained his reasoning for the foundation’s educational focus as well. “Waymon Webster was a Dean of the Prairie View A&M graduate school,” he elaborated. “My grandfather wanted me to take it all the way through college. I feel there is a power in education so to be able to give someone the opportunity to fulfill that dream as my papa thought for me is amazing.” He previously stated he wanted to be more involved in political activism.