NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley has followed through on his $1 million pledge to Jackson State University.
The basketball icon turned analyst has sent the first installment of $100,000 to the university. The funds will be used to support several projects at JSU.
“We are grateful to Mr. Charles Barkley for making this generous investment into Jackson State University,” JSU Acting President Elayne Hayes-Anthony said.
“It is transformative to have leaders, like Mr. Barkley, recognize the important work we’re doing and decide to sow into our mission to prepare students for the global workforce. This is a fantastic way to close out the fiscal year, and his pledge of $100,000 annually for the next ten years will provide a continuous resource to support institutional priorities at a greater level and to further carry out our strategic plan to elevate this great institution.”
Jackson State University will receive a $1 million gift from NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley’s Foundation. The first $100K annual installment of the unrestricted gift will be used to support several projects at the university. #Give2JSU https://t.co/eX0o4hBbSc
— Jackson State U. (@JacksonStateU) June 30, 2023
Barkley’s friendship with former JSU head football coach Deion Sanders was the determining factor in his decision to give to the university. Barkley told AL.com that he wanted to show JSU some love because of the extraordinary things accomplished under Coach Prime’s leadership.
The TNT personality also pledged to donate the same amount of money to Bethune-Cookman University and ALS research in Alabama in honor of a former Auburn teammate — Gary Godfrey — who was diagnosed with the disease in 2019.
Barkley’s contributions to JSU and BCU follow a series of donations to Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The basketball icon has also donated to Alabama A&M University, Clark Atlanta University, Miles College, Morehouse College, Spelman College, and Tuskegee University.
