Kwanza Jones, principal owner of the San Diego Padres of the MLB, has drawn attention for describing how Princeton overlooked her before a $20 million gift. However, her philanthropic record also includes more than $3 million committed to an HBCU with deep ties to her family.
Jones recently discussed her experience with Princeton during an appearance on rapper and entertainer T.I.’s ExpediTIously podcast. The former Princeton track athlete said she repeatedly contacted the university about supporting a residential college or dormitory.
“No one got back to me,” Jones said. “I asked again. Waited a few months. Asked again. Still, no one got back to me.”
Jones and her husband, José E. Feliciano, eventually made the historic $20 million contribution. The 2020 gift supported Princeton’s undergraduate expansion and helped fund two dormitories bearing their names.
When T.I. suggested that it took $20 million to receive an answer, Jones agreed.
“So, $20 million was just to get the answer,” she said.
The story has sparked a familiar response in some HBCU circles: Why give that level of money to wealthy Princeton instead of an HBCU?
Jones’ record provides some important context.
Kwanza Jones has longstanding Bennett College connection
Jones and Feliciano have contributed more than $3 million to Bennett College, the private HBCU for women located in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Jones’ relationship with Bennett extends beyond writing checks. Her mother, Dorothy Wilkerson Jones, graduated from Bennett in 1965. Her aunt and other members of her family also attended the institution.
Jones previously chaired the Bennett College Board of Trustees and is recognized as an honorary alumna. In 2019, she and Feliciano donated $1 million during the college’s successful #StandWithBennett fundraising campaign.
Their support continued in 2025 with a $1.5 million commitment. That contribution honored outgoing Bennett President Suzanne Elise Walsh and marked the 60th anniversary of Dorothy Jones’ graduation.
“Bennett College has been shaping futures for generations,” Jones said at the time. “It’s not just any one of us—it’s a collective legacy; it’s all of us.”
The gift supported scholarships, residence hall renovations and plans for a new science center. Bennett reported that the commitment pushed the couple’s total contributions to the HBCU beyond $3 million.
Jones is now making history in professional sports. She and Feliciano jointly lead the ownership group that purchased the Padres at a reported record valuation of $3.9 billion. Jones became the first Black woman to serve as a majority owner of a Major League Baseball franchise, while Feliciano serves as the club’s MLB-designated control person.
The Princeton story reveals how elite institutions can overlook successful Black alumni. Jones’ Bennett College record adds another layer: Her philanthropy has not excluded HBCUs. It has included years of leadership, family stewardship and multimillion-dollar investment in one.
Source: HBCU Gameday
