NBA legend Charles Barkley donated $1 million to a New Orleans school attended by two black girls who solved an “impossible” math puzzle

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — NBA legend Charles Barkley has made the primary of 10 pledged donations to a New Orleans school where two of its students will make math history in 2023.

St. Mary’s Academy, an all-girls Catholic school on the town’s east side, received a $100,000 donation from Barkley last Friday.

“We are forever grateful for Mr. Barkley’s gift and his support of our students,” Pamela Rogers, the school’s president, said in a statement. “This transformational gift will help students achieve excellence and fulfill the dreams they will create within the walls of St. Mary’s Academy. His generosity supports the mission of St. Mary’s Academy and strengthens our commitment to educating young people.”

Education

Barkley decided to make the donation after watching two seniors — Calcea Johnson and Ne’Kiya Jackson — discuss their “impossible mathematical discovery” on report on the news program “60 Minutes”. Two students have found a way to prove the Pythagorean Theorem using trigonometry without using circular logic — something mathematicians have been trying to do for nearly 2,000 years.

They gave a presentation on the 2023 Southeastern Annual Conference of the American Mathematical Society.

“Mr. Barkley is thrilled to support St. Mary’s Academy and is very focused on transforming future generations through education and opportunity. He has a love and passion for what the academy stands for and how it shapes the lives and futures of young girls in New Orleans,” said a representative from the Charles Barkley Foundation.

After graduating from St. Mary’s, Johnson went on to study environmental engineering at LSU, while Jackson is studying pharmacy at Xavier University of Louisiana.

St. Mary’s officials said the school plans to use Barkley’s donation to enhance “the school’s educational experience and provide students with opportunities to thrive in the classroom and in the New Orleans community.”