Former NBA star Charles Barkley announced Thursday night he is pledging $1,000,000 to black Alabama women to fund startup costs for I.T. businesses.

Appearing on TNT Network’s NBA studio show Barkley, who is from Leeds, began by congratulating Democrat Doug Jones, who he supported, for winning this week’s U.S. Senate special election. He then pledged the million dollars, promising he would announce later how it will be awarded.

“It’s time for us to make a difference. Everybody in life wants the same thing, we want our children to be safe and for them to go to a new school,” Barkley told WTVY at Jones’s victory party in Birmingham Tuesday night.

He challenged Democrats--he is one-- to quit taking votes of blacks and low-income whites for granted. “It’s time for (Democrats) to get up off their (butts) and start doing something,” Barkley said.

Barkley is known for his charitable contributions that include pledging a million dollars each to three colleges and universities.

Besides starring for three NBA teams, Barkley played college basketball in the 1980’s at Auburn and was later named Southeast Conference Player of the Decade. He is also in the NBA Hall of Fame.