Charles Barkley, formerly of the Philadelphia 76s and the Houston Rockets, donated $1 million to Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia July 7, according to AL news.
Barkley made the decision to support the HBCU after seeing the positive impact the university had on a student who’s the daughter of his business partner John Hudson. The donation was prompted by the success of Jordyn Hudson, Spelman’s class president for sophomores. Last summer, Jordyn premiered her documentary Shape the Culture: Then & Now. She created the documentary with the intention of drawing a connection between the influential activists that were prominent in the 1960s and the ones that are making changes today.
Her work inspired Barkley, so much so that he made the decision to donate his money to Spelman – one in quite the line of donations he’s made to HBCUs. He told AL, “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?’”
John continued to point out how few people know about Barkley’s consistent acts of support for education and young entrepreneurs. “People are aware of Charles from TNT and his NBA stardom, but I don’t think people are aware of how focused he is on philanthropy and entrepreneurism,” John Hudson expressed. “He knows how committed Jordyn is to Spelman and has seen how it has transformed her worldview.”
AL outlined the various givings that Barkley has partaken in the past few years. He’s pledged $1 million to Alabama A&M, Clark Atlanta, Morehouse, Miles College, and Tuskegee University.
“What can you say about someone who is so giving and charitable with their resources with all they’ve accomplished?” John Hudson added.
“He has a special place in his heart for Black women; I’ve seen him invest in Black female-owned companies. This is just another indication of Charles investing in something that is close to his heart,” he added.
Recently appointed President Helen Gayle said in a statement, “Charles Barkley’s $1 million gift to Spelman College comes at a significant time as we continue to close education and wealth inequality for Black families and maintain affordable education opportunities for women of African descent. As one of the country’s leading engines of social mobility and the nation’s leading HBCU, this generous gift will help build upon Spelman’s legacy of developing the next generation of leaders.”
