Inaugural grant to preserve the visual history of Historically Black Colleges and Universities

An old group photo of an HBCU athletic team

Getty Images, a preeminent global visual content creator and marketplace, in partnership with the Getty Family and Stand Together announced the recipients of the inaugural Getty Images Photo Archive Grant for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

The $500,000 grant will support the digitization of up to 200,000 archival photos from Claflin University, Jackson State University, North Carolina Central University, and Prairie View A&M University, to help preserve the invaluable photographic history of HBCUs.

Launching on gettyimages.com, the “Historically Black Colleges & Universities Collection” will see thousands of images added throughout 2022. Getty Images will work alongside archivists at each HBCU and Adnet Global, a renowned post-production agency that specializes in the digitization, restoration, and discoverability of visual analog historic libraries, in the photo digitization process.

“The Getty Images Photo Archive Grants for HBCUs is a winning partnership that gives these schools the funding and resources to preserve the important role they’ve played in our culture for future generations,” said Brian Hooks, CEO of Stand Together. “Even more, as the images are made available through Getty Images, so many more people and companies have the chance to use them, and the revenue generated when the photos are used will fund scholarships at HBCUs and the next round of grants.”

Each HBCU will retain all copyright for their photographs and all revenue generated from the images will be funneled back into impact programs: 50 percent will go to grant recipients; 30 percent of revenue will be used for a financial donation to scholarship funds focused on furthering the education of students at HBCUs; and 20 percent will be reinvested to fund the Getty Images Photo Archive Grants for HBCUs each year.

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