A report by Rachel Keith of WHQR Public Media in Wilmington, North Carolina, says a longtime University of North Carolina Wilmington donor plans to move a scholarship endowment valued at approximately $1 million to Washington, D.C., HBCU Howard University, following changes tied to the UNC System’s diversity policies.
Linda Upperman Smith, whose family established the scholarship in honor of her father, the late Dr. Leroy Upperman, said the family intends to transfer the endowment rather than remove language that reflected the scholarship’s original purpose of supporting African American students.
According to WHQR’s reporting, university officials informed the family that the scholarship language would need to be revised to comply with the University of North Carolina System’s updated Equality Within the University of North Carolina policy.
Rather than alter her father’s wishes, Upperman Smith said the family decided to move the scholarship to Howard University, where Dr. Upperman earned his medical degree.
“My father wanted to leave something that would reflect the Upperman name as well as do something to give back to the community that had supported him over the years,” Upperman Smith told WHQR.
The endowment is valued at approximately $1 million and currently generates about $40,000 annually in scholarship funding.
Why the scholarship is being moved
The scholarship was originally created to honor Dr. Leroy Upperman, who became one of the first Black physicians to practice in Wilmington after earning his medical degree from Howard University.
According to WHQR, university officials notified the family that language specifying African American recipients conflicted with the UNC System’s updated policies governing diversity, equity and inclusion.
Rather than revise the scholarship’s intent, the family elected to move the endowment.
Upperman Smith said transferring the scholarship allows her family to preserve the vision her father had when it was first established.
Howard University stands to benefit
If completed, the transfer would direct future scholarship funds to Howard University students instead of those attending UNCW.
Howard has long been one of the nation’s premier HBCU institutions and has educated generations of Black physicians, attorneys, educators and public servants. The university also played a pivotal role in Dr. Upperman’s education before he returned to Wilmington to serve his community. The move would represent one of the more notable examples of philanthropic dollars shifting from a predominantly white institution to an HBCU amid changing policies surrounding race-conscious programs.
UNC System policy changes continue to have ripple effects
The proposed transfer comes as universities across the country continue adjusting scholarship language and institutional policies following legal and political changes affecting diversity initiatives.
The UNC System adopted its Equality Within the University of North Carolina policy in 2024, replacing previous diversity, equity and inclusion guidelines. Since then, campuses have reviewed scholarships, hiring practices and other programs to ensure compliance with the new policy.
According to Rachel Keith’s reporting for WHQR Public Media, the Upperman family viewed moving the scholarship as the best way to preserve the donor’s original intent while continuing to support Black student achievement.
If finalized, Howard University would become the new home of the scholarship, ensuring Dr. Leroy Upperman’s legacy continues through future generations of students.
