May 15th 2024.
Former professional basketball player, Charles Barkley, has recently made a generous promise to donate money towards the education of young Black girls. He has pledged to contribute $1 million each to St. Mary's Academy in New Orleans and his alma mater, Auburn University. This gesture is to ensure that these girls have the opportunity to reach their full potential and make something of themselves. According to an article by AL.com, Barkley was inspired to make this decision after viewing a segment on a recent episode of "60 Minutes" featuring two former students of St. Mary's Academy who were able to prove the 2,000-year-old Pythagorean Theorem using trigonometry, a feat that was previously thought impossible.
Barkley, who is also known for his role as a host on "Inside the NBA," was moved by the determination and excellence displayed by these two young Black women. He expressed his admiration for them, stating, "These beautiful Black women, man, they're just the high achievers. A lot is demanded of everybody at the school - high excellence. And these two young Black women did something in mathematics that was incredible. It just inspired me." This inspired Barkley to make a significant donation to the school, knowing that his contribution will help pave the way for more young Black girls to excel in their studies.
In addition to his donation to St. Mary's Academy, Barkley has also pledged to donate $1 million to the women's athletics department at Auburn University, where he played Division 1 basketball before becoming a professional player in the NBA. He expressed his concern for the women's athletics program, especially during the current NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) movement, and emphasized the importance of supporting and showing appreciation for female athletes. "I just want to make sure I always take care of the women at Auburn because I worry about them more than anything during this NIL movement. Everybody's worried about football and basketball. I just want to make sure the women know I've got a lot of love and appreciation for them," Barkley stated.
Barkley's generosity is not a new phenomenon. In fact, last year he announced that he would be changing his will to designate $5 million to Auburn University for scholarships for low-income Black students. He explained that this decision was his way of ensuring that the university remains diverse. "That's just my way of trying to make sure Auburn stays diverse," he said. It is clear that Barkley's commitment to supporting and empowering the Black community, especially young Black women, is unwavering and inspiring.
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