Tuskegee University News November 3, 2020 Charles Barkley pledges $1 million to Tuskegee University Retired NBA Basketball Star and Hall of Famer, Charles Barkley, has pledged $1 million to Tuskegee University. In a recent interview with V103.3's Big Tigger in Atlanta, Barkley exclusively announced that he was choosing Tuskegee University for his next big donation to an HBCU. Charles Barkley has selected to support Tuskegee University through Capital One's The Match: Champions for Change presented by Turner Sports. The premier golf event, that boasts legendary athletes in competition, seeks to raise awareness about HBCUs and their illustrious programs. The Match will air on Turner Network Television (TNT), Friday, Nov. 27, at 3 p.m. ET with exclusive content available on Bleacher Report. Barkley's pledge to Tuskegee marks his fifth major donation to a historically black college. Earlier this year, he pledged $1 million to Miles College. In 2016, Barkley pledged $1 million to both Alabama A&M in Huntsville and Clark Atlanta University and in 2017 he pledged $1 million to Morehouse College in Atlanta. "We are excited to learn that Mr. Barkley made it a priority to support Tuskegee University," stated Dr. Charlotte Morris, Interim President. "His philanthropy will play a crucial role in advancing the university's strategic goals." Barkley is a native of Leeds, Ala., and a graduate of Auburn University. During his career, he earned 11 NBA All-Star Game appearances and was named the All-Star MVP in 1991. In 1993, he was voted the league's Most Valuable Player and during the NBA's 50th anniversary, named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. In 1992 and 1996, Barkley competed in the Olympic Games and won two gold medals as a member of the United States' Dream Team. In 2006, Barkley was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In 2000, he retired as one of only four players in NBA history with 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 4,000 assists. Since retiring as a player, Barkley has had a successful career as an Emmy Award-winning basketball commentator. He works with TNT as a studio personality for its coverage of NBA games. In addition, Barkley has written several books and has also shown an interest in politics. In 2008, Barkley spoke at the university in the "Evening with Charles Barkley." The event acknowledged the accomplishments of the student athletes of Tuskegee University. ________________________________ Sandra M. Phoenix HBCU Library Alliance Executive Director Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library 111 James P. Brawley Drive SW Atlanta GA 30314 404-978-2118 (office) 404-702-5854 (cell) http://www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> Honor the ancestors, honor the children and those yet to come. Building Capacity for Humanities Special Collections at HBCUs - Become an ally and partner with us to protect, preserve and share a more authentic record of American history. Follow this link http://hbculibraries.org/humanities-2019.html for more information. Follow this link http://hbculibraries.org/ and click on the Donate Now button to invest in this project. Your support is appreciated. Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/hbculibraryalliance1/ and Twitter at https://twitter.com/HBCULibAlliance Check out "PULSE!" The HBCU Library Alliance's News Source! - https://hbculibraryalliance.wordpress.com/