Charles Barkley to donate $1 million to St. Mary’s Academy, powered by New Orleans teens who discovered a new way to prove the Pythagorean theorem

Charles Barkley is inspired by students Calcea Johnson and Ne’Kiya Jackson who made history with their discovery of mathematics.

As previously reported by AFROTECH™, Johnson and Jackson attended St. Mary’s Academy, a Catholic school located in New Orleans, LA, and are tasked with finding a new way to solve the Pythagorean theorem using logic-free trigonometry circular, which remained a mystery. for many mathematicians for 2,000 years.

WWL-TV 4 reporter Sam Winstrom spoke to both men in March 2023 about their accomplishment. According to his report, “Calcea and Ne’Kiya explained it to me like this: Basically, trigonometry is based on the Pythagorean theorem (A^2 + B^2 = C^2, anyone?), so use trigonometry to prove that Pythagoras “The theorem is what is called circular logic.”

Johnson, who is now a freshman at Louisiana State University, spoke with the university ahead of an interview she and Jackson had with “60 Minutes” on May 5, 2024. Johnson revealed at LSU that their discovery had been motivated by a $500 competition organized by their high school.

“It was his sophomore year, and there was a bonus question: creating a new proof of the Pythagorean theorem,” Johnson said, according to an LSU press release. “There was also a monetary incentive, $500, and that was really awesome for a high school student. But $500 isn’t much when you start doing all that work. We were the only two in the entire school to find a solution to the bonus issue.

St. Mary’s Academy principal Pamela Rogers is not surprised by the students’ accomplishments because a standard of excellence is instilled in all students, she tells “60 Minutes Extra.” The outlet reports that the school has a 100% graduation rate and a 100% college admissions rate.

“We weren’t shocked…our students can do anything.” And that’s what we tell them. You know, ‘the sky’s the limit, and we want to be up there with you,'” Rogers said.

She added, according to AL.com: “We teach young women to be of service, to empower themselves and (and) to be part of the community. We teach them to grow spiritually, intellectually… to be good people and to give of themselves to each other.

Echoing the sense of limitless potential instilled at St. Mary’s Academy, the excellence Johnson and Jackson demonstrated inspired the world.

Plus, they continue to make national headlines and their “60 Minutes” interview caught the attention of NBA legend Charles Barkley, who announced that he will now donate $1 million at St. Mary’s Academy.

“These beautiful black women, man, they’re just high achievers,” Barkley said, according to AL.com. “We demand a lot from everyone at school: great excellence. And these two young black women have done something incredible in mathematics. It just inspired me.

In addition to St. Mary’s, Barkley plans to donate $1 million to his alma mater, Auburn University, focus funds on women’s athletics.