Oprah Winfrey plans to donate $2 million to disaster relief in Puerto Rico, which is still recovering from devastating effects of back-to-back 2017 hurricanes.
The media mogul’s donation was announced on Monday by the Hispanic Federation and the Flamboyan Arts Fund, which was founded last year by Tony Award-winning actor and “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and his family. His parents were born in Puerto Rico and he frequently visited his grandparents there.
Each organization will receive $1 million for revitalization projects.
Winfrey said she was inspired to donate after attending Miranda’s production of “Hamilton” in San Juan earlier this year.
“I was so moved by Lin-Manuel Miranda’s commitment to bring ‘Hamilton’ to Puerto Rico and support the community that served him growing up that I wanted to join in the revitalization efforts of an island so rich in culture, beauty and heritage,” Winfrey said in a statement. “The needs of Puerto Rico and our fellow American citizens following the tragic hurricanes are still very real.”
Close to 3,000 Puerto Ricans died after Hurricane Maria struck in 2017, just weeks after Hurricane Irma, and residents still face medical aid and food shortages and power outages.
Despite these hardships, President Donald Trump has continuously bashed Puerto Rico for seeking resources to recover from the hurricanes. Trump has complained about the costs, using grossly inflated figures, and accused officials of corruption with no evidence:
Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló has pushed back against the White House, telling CNN in an interview last month that he will not be bullied by the administration or allow the people of Puerto Rico to be treated like “second-class citizens.”
“If the bully gets close, I’ll punch the bully in the mouth,” Rosselló said. “It would be a mistake to confuse courtesy with courage.”