Charles Barkley is playing his part in supporting Black scholars amid a drastic change regarding academia.
On June 29, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruled that affirmative action violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution and struck down the programs at the University of North Carolina and Harvard University, according to NBC News.
The outlet called the ruling “a major victory for conservative activists, ending the systematic consideration of race in the admissions process.”
As an effort to continue pushing for diversity at universities and colleges, Barkley is paying it forward to his alma mater. The former NBA star and TV analyst is donating a multi-million-dollar check to Auburn University, according to AL.com.
“In my will, I am leaving Auburn $5 million,” Barkley announced, per the outlet. “I’m going to change it to be just for scholarships for Black students. That’s just my way of trying to make sure Auburn stays diverse. I love Auburn. I’ve actually changed it to be used for kids from poor homes.”
He continued, “But 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. So I’m gonna change my will and make it exclusively for Black students – all $5 million. It’s just for me the right thing to do. I always want to make sure that Auburn’s diverse.”
The importance of education is one of Barkley’s core values.
As previously reported by AfroTech, he donated $1 million to Jackson State University after Deion Sanders’ departure as the football team’s head coach.
“They’re probably gonna take a little hit with him leaving, so I want to show them some love because, man, what [Sanders] accomplished there was pretty extraordinary,” Barkley said.
In addition, Barkley has donated to Alabama A&M University, Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Miles College, Tuskegee University, and Spelman College.
