$500,000 Pledge for College Scholarships

Sydney Goldfarb of Malibu has pledged $500,000 to Santa Monica College for scholarships for African-Americans.

The gift is the largest in the history of the community college.

“I know that African-American students have a particular need for this because there’s a larger dropout rate,” said Goldfarb, 79.

Operator of a wholesale souvenir business until his retirement 20 years ago, Goldfarb said he became acquainted with the college when his grandson, Eric, was a student there.

Santa Monica College will receive the gift over 10 years.

The first installment was a $2,000 scholarship awarded to Tonya Anderson of Santa Monica, who is transferring to USC in the fall as a business major.