Charles Barkley Pledges $1 Million To HBCU Jackson State University After Friend Deion Sanders’ Exit

Hall of Fame NBA basketball player, analyst, and sports personality Charles Barkley is giving back to HBCUs in a grand way.

Last week, AL.com reported that Barkley is donating $1 million each to Bethune-Cookman University and Jackson State University, which marks the seventh and eighth significant donations he has made to HBCUs.

He hadn’t notified the schools at the time of the news announcement.

“I’m just so lucky and blessed beyond anything I can imagine,” Barkley told al.com.

Barkley’s decision to invest in Jackson State stems from his friendship with Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, who left his position as the head football coach for the Jackson State Tigers. As BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported, the former Dallas Cowboys star recently accepted a position as the head coach for the Colorado Buffaloes before the team announced the news on Twitter on Dec. 3.

“They’re probably gonna take a little hit with him leaving, so I want to show them some love because, man, what he accomplished there was pretty extraordinary,” Barkley said about Sanders.

According to The Clarion-Ledger, Jackson State wasn’t aware of Barkley’s gift until they discovered the news on social media.

“We are very thankful and look forward to working with Mr. Barkley to facilitate this generous gift,” Yolanda Owens, interim vice president for institutional advancement, told the outlet. “We appreciate his acknowledgement of Jackson State University and the great work that goes on at our institution. Because of his generosity, JSU will have an opportunity to support institutional priorities at a greater level and continue the efforts to elevate the university.”

Since 2016, Barkley has poured his generosity and dollars into other HBCUs, including Alabama A&M in Huntsville and Clark Atlanta University, per AL.com. In 2017, he pledged $1 million to Morehouse College in Atlanta. Three years later, he donated $1 million each to Miles College in Birmingham and Tuskegee University.