Charles Barkley To Donate $5M To Auburn To Ensure University ‘Stays Diverse’ Following Supreme Court Affirmative Action Ruling

July 3, 2023 by Ariel Whitely in Sports with 0 Comments

Charles Barkley

Charles Barkley To Donate $5M To Auburn To Ensure University ‘Stays Diverse’ Following Supreme Court Affirmative Action Ruling

NBA star Charles Barkley is ensuring students from all backgrounds will have the means to pursue a college education.

According to reports, Charles Barkley, 60, has made adjustments to his will following the United States Supreme Court’s decision to outlaw affirmative action in college admissions. If you aren’t aware, last week officials ordered that universities can no longer take race into consideration in their student-acceptance process.

Charles Barkley

In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court reportedly ruled that using race as a factor in deciding who gets into a school is a violation of the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution.

Following the ruling, which sparked concern nationwide, Charles Barkley shared he will be donating $5 million to his alma mater, Auburn University, to provide scholarships for students. He also hopes that the university will remain diverse in the wake of the decision to overturn affirmative action on college campuses. Reportedly, Black students make up just over 5% of Auburn University.

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.’”

Charles Barkley

Barkley’s generous donation to Auburn can be added to the list of hefty contributions he’s given to a university. As previously reported, the NBA legend donated $1 million to Spelman College in 2022, making it the sixth major donation that he has made to a Black college since 2016.

The generous gift came about after he witnessed the impact the Atlanta-based historically Black women’s college made on Jordyn Hudson, the daughter of his business partner, John Hudson.

Amidst Jordyn Hudson’s growing success at the HBCU institution, Barkley made the decision to gift the school with funds that will go toward empowering the next generation of leaders. According to reports, he previously shared,

“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?’”