Travis Scott announces $5M plan for 'actionable change' after deadly Astroworld concert

Four months after the deadly Astroworld tragedy that killed 10 concertgoers, rapper Travis Scott announced a $5 million initiative dubbed "Project HEAL" that he says will be a "catalyst for real change" to heal in the aftermath.

Scott, 30, detailed Tuesday a four-pronged project that includes solutions to address "challenges facing today's youth, especially those from marginalized and at-risk communities": $1 million in academic scholarships to historically black colleges and universities, free mental health resources, a creative design education program and a new tech-driven solution for event safety.

"Over the past few months I’ve been taking the time and space to grieve, reflect and do my part to heal my community," he wrote in an Instagram post. "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."

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He added: "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," he said. “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."

On Nov. 5, Scott's Astroworld music festival turned deadly following a crowd surge that began shortly after he took the stage to headline. Ten victims between the ages of 9 and 27 died and hundreds more were injured. Scott and the festival organizers have since faced heavy criticism for shoddy safety plans and for Scott's history of inciting rowdy crowds.

Scott gave his first interview about the tragedy a month after the festival, denying that he had any knowledge of what happened as he performed, and vowing to "fix this for the future."

"I feel like they’re pointing the finger at me because it's my festival and I am who I am, and maybe (there's) not a lot of understanding going on," Scott told Charlamagne Tha God in an interview released Dec. 9. "I’ve shown through actions that's not my character."

Hundreds of lawsuits were filed in the aftermath, which were discussed last week in the first Astroworld legal hearing in Houston. Attorney Robert Hilliard – who, along with Ben Crump, represents more than 700 victims including the father of Ezra Blount, the 9-year-old who died after attending the show – criticized Scott's announcement, which came days after a judge told those involved with the case to refrain from interviews or media announcements that might sway public or jury opinion.

"However well-intentioned Mr. Scott’s belated largesse may or may not be, there seems no reason to issue a press release or announce the specific part of the initiative as it relates to putting money into concert safety and making sure fans are safe at shows, other than to improperly attempt and sway potential jurors with the message 'look at me, I’m a good guy,' " Hilliard said in a statement.

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Stephanie Rawlings Blake, a spokesperson for Scott, told USA TODAY it's "shameful and beyond cynical" for Hilliard to accuse Scott of "violating a court order" with the announcement of the initiative. "Mr. Hilliard should apologize for attacking programs designed to foster creativity, boost academic achievement, facilitate better mental health and prevent future tragedies – which, I would hope, nobody would say are unimportant," Blake said in a statement.

Dr. Rev. D.Z. Cofield, a senior pastor of Houston's Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church, said Scott is "helping people in need" with his philanthropic endeavor and that Hilliard's criticism is "not helpful."

In a statement to USA TODAY, Cofield said Hilliard has "deliberately misrepresented" Scott's "righteous initiative to provide millions for scholarships, education and mental health resources to the young community for his own personal gain."

"As a pastor and a community leader in Travis’s hometown of Houston who confronts poverty and its effects each day, I hope that Mr. Hilliard stands down," Cofield added.

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One of Scott's initiative pillars directly addresses the tragedy: Scott will fund the U.S. Conference of Mayors Task Force on Event Safety, as well as a "tech-driven device currently in development."

The solutions were formed by input from "key experts from the tech sector, government, emergency response, event management, health, and public safety experts," the release noted, adding that "this will be the first time all these stakeholders will work together to most effectively address the safety challenges faced by future large-scale events, which will culminate in a comprehensive report of recommendations.

"HEAL will work towards advocating that this report serves as the new safety and security blueprint for all festivals and large-scale events," according to the release.

Scott's academic scholarships – named after his grandfather Waymon Webster, a Prairie View A&M University alum and former educator – will award $10,000 each to 100 college students who have averaged a 3.5 or higher GPA, but risk not graduating due to a "last-minute challenge of financial adversity in their second semester senior year."

The rapper has also pledged "seven figures" for mental health services, per a press release, funding digital counseling, telephone hotlines and other free programs with licensed professional counselors and social workers, focusing on "much-needed resources to support services for young people in lower-income communities of color, many of whom have few available, accessible, affordable mental health options."

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And Scott's Cactus Jack Foundation is also partnering with Houston-based nonprofit makerspace Youth Design Center on a "seven-figure expansion" to install a new creative design education program for the center "through a strategic online partnership with a historically black college or university."

"Giving back and creating opportunities for the youth is something I’ve always done and will continue to do as long as I have the chance," Scott added on Instagram. "This program will be a catalyst to real change and I can’t wait to introduce the rest of the technology and ideas we’ve been working on. See you all so soon."

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Travis Scott Astroworld: Project HEAL, Waymon Webster scholarship