Travis Scott has unveiled his strongest response yet to the Astroworld tragedies. This week, the rapper announced the launch of Project HEAL, a “multi-tier initiative dedicated to addressing challenges facing today’s youth, especially those from marginalized and at-risk communities,” his post on Instagram explained.
“Over the past few months I’ve been taking the time and space to grieve, reflect and do my part to heal my community,” Scott wrote in the caption. “Most importantly, I want to use my resources and platform moving forward towards actionable change. This will be a lifelong journey for me and my family.”
The initiative works with Scott’s existing Cactus Jack Foundation to establish a scholarship fund for students at historically Black colleges and universities, launch a set of free mental health resources, expand on a design center in Houston that Scott had announced last fall, and fund a “U.S. Conference of Mayors Task Force of Event Safety.” The conference will bring together “all of the relevant stakeholders from government, public safety, emergency response, health care, event management, music, and technology” in assessing safety for future large-scale events. Complex reports that he’s donating $5 million to such causes to coincide with the launch.
The project is Scott’s biggest response thus far since his music festival resulted in the death of 10 concertgoers, a mass-casualty event that is currently under investigation and has led to a wave of lawsuits. The rapper, in particular, has come under fire for his culpability in the tragedy and for what many have seen to be a disingenuous response in its immediate aftermath.
“While it’s easy for corporations and institutions to stay in the shadows, I feel as a leader in my community, I need to step up in times of need,” Scott wrote on Instagram. “My team and I created Project HEAL to take much needed action towards supporting real solutions that make all events the safest spaces they can possibly be. I will always honor the victims of the Astroworld tragedy who remain in my heart forever.”
