© Kyle Terada, USA TODAY Sports
NBA legend, Charles Barkley is making sure that students from diverse backgrounds have equal opportunities to pursue higher education.
In response to the recent Supreme Court ruling prohibiting affirmative action in college admissions, 60-year-old Charles Barkley has reportedly updated his will. The decision by officials last week stated that universities are no longer allowed to consider race as a factor in their student acceptance process.
The Supreme Court has reportedly ruled, in a 6-3 decision, that considering race as a criterion for school admissions violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution’s 14th Amendment.
In response to the nationwide concern sparked by the ruling, Barkley has announced a generous donation of $5 million to his alma mater, Auburn University. The donation aims to establish scholarships for students and promote diversity within the university’s community. Currently, Black students constitute slightly over 5% of Auburn University’s student body.
The former professional basketball player said, “That’s just my way of trying to make sure Auburn stays diverse. After that ruling yesterday, my phone was blowing up. I was talking to my friends and said, ‘I need to make sure Black folks always have a place at Auburn.’”
Barkley’s substantial donation to Auburn University joins the impressive roster of generous contributions he has made to various educational institutions. Notably, the NBA legend donated $1 million to Spelman College in 2022, marking his sixth significant donation to a Black college since 2016.
Inspired by the transformative impact that Atlanta-based historically Black women’s college had on Jordyn Hudson, the daughter of his business partner, John Hudson, Barkley decided to bestow the generous gift. The funds will be utilized to empower the upcoming generation of leaders. As he stated previously, “John has been a great mentor, a great friend and a great business partner. I was ready to do another HBCU and with his daughter doing great things at Spelman, so I told him, ‘Why not there?’”
XXX
Fharnell M.
