NBA legend Charley Barkley is once again paying it forward in a big way.
Barkley saw Calcea Johnson and Ne’Kiya Jackson, two former students of New Orleans-based school, St. Mary Academy, on 60 Minutes explaining how they used trigonometry to prove the 2000-year-old Pythagorean Theorem. This was long thought to be an impossible task. Upon seeing the two girls sharing their story, Barkley donated to $1M to the school.
“Our students can do anything, and that’s what we tell them,” St. Mary’s Academy principal, Pamela Rogers, told 60 Minutes correspondent Bill Whitaker per reports. “We teach young women to give service, to empower themselves, [and] to be in the community. We teach them to grow spiritually, intellectually…to be good people and give to one another.”
This isn’t the first time Barkley has shown his generosity toward Black students.
In 2020, the sports commentator donated a million dollars to both Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia and Alabama A&M University in Huntsville, Alabama.
“This is a transformational gift to the institution and a true measure of Mr. Barkley’s commitment to advancing educational opportunities,” AAMU President Andrew Hugine said. CAU President Ronald A. Johnson was equally appreciative of Barkley’s generous donation to the institution.
“We are delighted to receive this generous gift from Mr. Barkley,” Johnson said in a statement posted to the school’s website. “This gift reflects Barkley’s tremendous heart and his desire to make a significant, positive and lasting difference in the lives of others. It is a testament to the importance of the transformative impact of CAU on its students, surrounding community, the nation and beyond.”
