Yahoo News So 'Happy': Pharrell Williams Pays Off Student Debt Of NAACP Youth Leaders
Musician and music producer Pharrell Williams surprised five NAACP youth leaders Friday by announcing he was paying off their student debt.
He announced the gift during a panel event addressing the Black student debt crisis, organized by the NAACP in Washington, D.C.
The “Happy” singer is in D.C. hosting the Something in the Water music festival over the Juneteenth holiday weekend.
Wisdom Cole, the NAACP’s national director of youth and college, called the gift a “powerful” gesture.
“Pharrell forever changed their lives. This was a powerful moment,” Cole told ABC affiliate WJLA-TV. “Imagine if President Biden made this a reality for all students. Student debt continues to disproportionately plague the Black community and crush opportunities for so many Black people.”
WATCH: The moment 6 young @NAACP leaders find out that #SomethingInTheWater is cancelling all their student debt.
Now can you imagine if @POTUS fulfilled his promise? pic.twitter.com/hroyopTbHi— Jonah Bryson (@JonahLBryson) June 17, 2022
Biden is considering some sort of federal student loan forgiveness, and is expected to make an announcement in the next couple of months.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
