Now is as good a time as any for young people to tap into the initiatives and resources companies are providing as stepping stones to getting involved in the entertainment realm.

In conjunction with its recent announcement of the upcoming premiere of HBO special “Between The World and Me”based on the NYT best-selling book by Ta-Nehisi Coates, premium cable network HBO is pledging a $1 million gift to Howard University students who are looking to pursue entertainment careers, REVOLT reports.

Howard alumni Coates, as well as director Kamilah Forbes and award-winning actress Susan Kelechi Watson, have not only joined forces to bring “Between The World and Me” to life on screen. They’ve also created the Coates-Forbes-Watson-HBO Dream Seekers Endowed Fellowship, a fund that supports students working to establish careers in arts and entertainment, a press release states.

“We are incredibly proud to be a part of creating this endowment which will provide means for students to pursue formative opportunities in the arts and entertainment,” said HBO Programming President, Casey Bloys in a statement. “We can think of no better partners than Howard University, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Kamilah Forbes and Susan Kelechi Watson in this effort.”

The three proud graduates of the esteemed HBCU were excited to announce the fund as they feel this is their contribution to those who aspire to follow in their footsteps.

“As products of Howard University, we deeply believe in the responsibility to give as much as was given to us,” said Coates, Forbes, and Watson in a joint statement for Black Enterprise. “We are inspired to see that same spirit in HBO’s gift to Howard — an institution which has not just given so much to us, individually, but to all of America.”

Through the Coates-Forbes-Watson-HBO Dream Seekers Endowed Fellowship, students will be able to use stipends granted to them to cover living and travel expenses for internships in cities like Los Angeles, New York, and beyond, Black Enterprise reports.

Awards from the fund will be distributed to students based on those who demonstrate financial need, “allowing the recipients the ability to take advantage of opportunities they may not otherwise be able to afford,” according to a press release.

“The Coates-Forbes-Watson-HBO Dream Seekers Endowed Fellowship will go a long way in closing that gap and make a significant difference among Howard students for years to come,” Vice President of Development and Alumni Relations, David P. Bennett, said in a statement. 

The money from this fund not only supports these students in their career endeavors but shows how the entertainment industry is opening up more opportunities for people of color in the future.