Charles Barkley wants to help his alma mater Auburn's Black student applicants and future attendees rebound from a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Thursday that dealt a major setback to affirmative action efforts at colleges and universities.
His effort is to ensure diversity in the university's student population. Barkley played his college ball at Auburn before he was drafted in 1984 by the Philadelphia 76ers. He was traded to the Suns prior to the 1992-93 season. “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 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.