The Supreme Court’s ruling declaring race can no longer be used as a criterion for college admissions was a “shot across the bow, man,” says Charles Barkley.
Upon hearing the news on Thursday, the NBA Hall of Famer was moved to do something to support future Black students attending Auburn, his alma mater. Something significant.
“In my will, I am leaving Auburn $5 million,” he said Friday. “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,” he added. “I’ve actually changed it to be used for kids from poor homes. 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 exclusive 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.”
According to the university’s data, Black student enrollment fell slightly from 5.3 percent in 2020 to 4.91% in the fall of 2022.
Barkley said when he originally made out his will, he considered making his bequest exclusive to Black students, but chose not to. The ruling changed his mind.
“We’ve always lacked diversity,” Barkley said. “I’m doing my part to make sure we are more diverse.”
