The Supreme Court of the United States declared that race can no longer be used as a criterion for college admissions, ending Affirmative Action on Thursday.
Auburn alum Charles Barkley wants to ensure that diversity is still a priority for admissions at his alma mater, and as such made a significant move amid the ruling on Friday.
After describing the ruling as “a shot across the bow,” Barkley said on Friday that he will be leaving Auburn $5 million in his will, to be used for scholarships for Black students.
“In my will, I am leaving Auburn $5 million,” he said, per AL.com. “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. 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 exclusively 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 AL.com, Auburn’s Black student enrollment was at 4.91% as of 2022, down from 5.3% in 2020.
It is not the first time, and certainly won’t be the last time, that Barkley has shown love for his alma mater. But his latest move might be his most significant yet to a university that means so much to him.
