NBA Legend Charles Barkley has donated $1 million to Spelman College. Barkley’s decision was inspired by his business partner’s daughter, Jordyn Hudson.

According to AL.com, this is the sixth substantial donation he made to a .the historically Black college and university (HBCU). Barkley told the publication that his partner, John Hudson, is a great friend, and his daughter is doing a great job at Spelman.

“John has been a great mentor, a great friend, and a great business partner,” Barkley said. “I was ready to do another HBCU, and with his daughter doing great things at Spelman, so I told him, ‘Why not there?'”

 

John shared the same sentiments for Barkley, calling him “giving” and “charitable.” John also said that Barkley holds a special place in his heart for Black women.

“What can you say about someone who is so giving and charitable with their resources with all they’ve accomplished?” John said. “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.”

Last summer, Jordyn premiered her documentary, “Shape the Culture: Then & Now. The documentary connects today’s youth activists with the youth that participated in the civil rights marches in the 1960s.

“We are the ones that we’ve been waiting for,” Hudson said. “We are the change that we seek. Youth across the country — even though we are young — we have the power to make a difference. We have the power to activate change, just like the youth who marched in the Children’s Crusade during the 1960s. We have the power to cancel out racism and equities and injustice, and we are the change that we seek in the world.”

Jordyn recently graduated from Indian Springs School and received the Princeton Prize in Race Relations. The prestigious award goes to high school students who work to advance racial equity in their communities. Twenty-nine students received the award last August; Jordyn was the only recipient from Alabama.

Jordyn, a sophomore this fall, will serve as class president.

Helene Gayle, Spelman’s president, said that Barkley’s donation is crucial as they continue to close the wealth and education gap for Black families.

“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,” Gayle said. “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.”

In the past, Barkley has donated $1 million to Alabama A&M, Miles College, and Tuskegee University. He also pledged $1 million to Clark Atlanta University in 2016 and $1 million to Morehouse College in 2017.

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