Charles Barkley and education technology company EVERFI are stressing the importance of civic engagement.

Seeking to develop future leaders, the NBA Hall of Famer, Emmy Award-winning studio analyst, and author recently announced a partnership to power an African American history initiative for high school students. Throughout Alabama and Mississippi, Barkley will provide tens of thousands of students in the Mississippi Delta region access to EVERFI's 306: African-American History digital course [VIDEO].

“I was born and raised in rural Alabama at the dawn of the Civil Rights era, and I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to American heroes like Medgar Evers, John Lewis and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,” said Barkley, a native of Leeds, Alabama. EVERFI CEO, Tom Davidson said the partnership with Barkley will allow “students in Alabama and across the Mississippi Delta to reimagine how they see themselves through the lens of history.”

306: African-American History is a digital learning experience that informs and inspires students through the stories and themes of African Americans who have exhibited true character, strength, creativity, and intellect. Excited to “offer this digital initiative that makes African-American history readily accessible,” Davidson and EVERFI created a course that has reached nearly 100,000 students across the country, including over 17,000 in Alabama and Mississippi.

“Every child in my home state should have the keys to knowledge of their history so they can achieve great things in their own lives,” said Barkley. "This initiative helps accomplish that.”