Charles Barkley and the Pythagorean theorem are two things you probably didn’t expect to see linked together, but neither was proving the equation using trigonometry — until Calcea Johnson and Ne’Kiya Jackson.
While the two were seniors at New Orleans’ St. Mary’s Academy, they cracked the 2,000-year-old Pythagorean theorem with a trigonometry method that professional academics had deemed impossible. The feat was documented in a May segment of CBS’ “60 Minutes,” which is where the story finds Barkley.
After watching the special, Barkley was inspired to donate to the all-girls Catholic high school, and last Friday, he delivered on that inspiration with a $100,000 gift, the first installment of his $1 million donation to the school over the next 10 years.
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“We are forever grateful for Mr. Barkley’s gift and his support of our students,” said Pamela Rogers, president of St. Mary’s Academy. “This transformative gift will assist students as they excel and achieve whatever dream they create within the walls of St. Mary’s Academy. His generosity supports the mission of St. Mary’s Academy and reinforces our commitment to educating young people.”
The Pythagorean theorem is a mathematical puzzle involving three sides of a right triangle. Johnson and Jackson spent months working to solve it using trigonometry, which had never been done before.
After solving the feat and graduating from St. Mary’s, both went on to college, with Johnson now studying environmental engineering at LSU while Jackson is pursuing a pharmacy degree from Lousiana’s Xavier University. And even though they aren’t students of St. Mary’s anymore, their impact will be long-lasting — and compounded by Barkley.
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“Mr. Barkley is thrilled to support St. Mary’s Academy and is very focused on transforming future generations through education and opportunities,” a representative from the Charles Barkley Foundation said. “He has a love and passion for what the academy stands for and how it is shaping the lives and futures of young girls in New Orleans.”
This isn’t the first time Barkley has made a donation in the education world. He’s previously made a $1 million donation to his alma mater Auburn and multiple HBCUs, and last year, he said he would amend the $5 million he was leaving to Auburn to be just for scholarships for Black students.