So 'Happy': Pharrell Williams Pays Off Student Debt Of NAACP Youth Leaders

Musician and music producer Pharrell Williams surprised five NAACP youth leaders Friday by announcing he was paying off their student debt.

He announced the gift during a panel event addressing the Black student debt crisis, organized by the NAACP in Washington, D.C.

The “Happy” singer is in D.C. hosting the Something in the Water music festival over the Juneteenth holiday weekend.

Wisdom Cole, the NAACP’s national director of youth and college, called the  gift a “powerful” gesture.

“Pharrell forever changed their lives. This was a powerful moment ,” Cole told ABC affiliate WJLA-TV. “Imagine if President Biden made this a reality for all students. Student debt continues to disproportionately plague the Black community and crush opportunities for so many Black people.”

Biden is considering some sort of federal student loan forgiveness, and is expected to make an announcement in the next couple of months.