Martin Luther King Jr. had an affinity for education as he received a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Morehouse College, a bachelor’s degree from Crozer Theological Seminary and a doctorate from Boston University. On MLK Day, New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum is announcing his assist to 10 kids from underserved New Orleans communities to pay for their college education.
McCollum announced the arrival of the McCollum Scholars Program, which will provide 10 Pell Grant eligible students from New Orleans high schools a four-year, need-based $80,000 college scholarship. The McCollum Scholars Program is in collaboration with College Beyond, a New Orleans-based scholarship program designed to assist high school students from underserved communities in Orleans Parish aspiring to pursue a bachelor’s degree. High school juniors will soon be eligible to apply for the McCollum Scholars Program.
“It’s the fate of the universe,” said McCollum to Andscape of the timing of announcing the scholarship on MLK Day. “Things are kind of coming along with the right time in the partnerships and collaboration. With College Beyond, its ready in the new year. And obviously, there’s a huge significance on Martin Luther King Day, his legacy and what he’s done to try to change the world.
“And I’m not saying I’m MLK or anything like that, but I’m trying to continue to make the world a better place and do things the right way and take advantage of the blessings that have been bestowed upon my family and try to do what you can when you can’t help others.”
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Each McCollum Scholar will receive a $20,000 scholarship over four years. Any remaining scholarship funds will be reallocated toward each recipient’s school or career preparation-related expenses. During their senior year in high school, they will be given a year of counseling and cohort engagement to prepare them for college. While in college, McCollum Scholars will also be offered individual check-ins with academic coaches, mentors, mental wellness resources, career preparation and internship placement.
College Beyond was founded in 2015 by Paris Woods and Sarah Payne, two college access educators working at Walter L. Cohen College Prep High School in New Orleans. College Beyond believes that the college completion gap “stems from economic, social, and cultural capital inequalities. Therefore, we provide targeted interventions to close the gap for participants.” College Beyond says it has recorded a 43% increase in degree completion in eight years for Pell Grant-eligible students.
“We are excited to begin this partnership with CJ McCollum,” College Beyond president Chantelle George said. “The McCollum Scholars Program is a testament to CJ’s commitment to education and youth here in New Orleans. The future of this program is bright! As someone who covers this work on a national level, I am excited to be a part of what can be a model of scholar programs across the country. Because of this program, many more students will be able to dream.”
While growing up in Canton, Ohio, McCollum said, his parents told him and his older brother Errick that they wouldn’t be able to pay for them to go to college. Errick McCollum went on to earn a basketball scholarship to NAIA Division II Goshen College and became a four-time All-American before starting a pro career in Europe in 2010. CJ McCollum received a full basketball scholarship to Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, where he starred before being drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 10th pick in 2013.
C.J. McCollum received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Lehigh. The 11-season NBA veteran said he has been thinking for years about offering college scholarships to high school students before finally making it happen in 2024.
“We all come from different circumstances, different situations, but college is expensive,” McCollum said. “A lot of times, your neighborhood, your upbringing and where you’re from dictates your ability to do what you want to do. A lot of times, historically, we do what we have to do. But we don’t always get to do what we want to do. In this case, I’m in position, my family is in position to ease the burden on a lot of kids and a lot of families and that’s the ultimate goal …
“One of the cool things about what we’re doing is helping them figure out how to prepare for not only college but life after college. Being able to get that help while you’re in college — that mentorship, that one-on-one help — is really important. And a lot of kids miss out on that.”
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McCollum joined the Pelicans in a trade from the Blazers on Feb. 8, 2022. Since then, he has not only made an impact on the court in New Orleans but also in the community. He has visited the Juvenile Justice Intervention Center meeting with incarcerated teenagers and officials, gave kids from the Boys & Girls Club in New Orleans and Slidell an iPad, his Pelicans jersey and tickets to a game, passed out meals on Thanksgiving and is now giving out 10 college scholarships.
“We said from the beginning that New Orleans isn’t for everybody, but if it is you never want to leave,” David Griffin, Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations, said. “CJ is planting really meaningful roots here. For him, it is not about basketball. I really don’t think his mission has much to do with basketball at all at this point. He wants to have a legacy that lasts beyond his time in the game. And he cares deeply about helping people that need it.
“Being from Canton, he cares a lot about small markets and the needs of people that are underserved. When you have a meaningful connection to that, it changes things. It’s how he is living his life.”
King was a legendary Baptist minister, philosopher and social activist who played a key role in preaching nonviolence in the Civil Rights Movement. The Atlanta native was assassinated on April 4, 1968, while standing on the balcony outside his room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. President Ronald Reagan signed the King Holiday Bill into law on Nov. 2, 1983, making the third Monday in January a federal holiday.
There will be 11 NBA games played on MLK Day. One includes McCollum and the Pelicans visiting the Dallas Mavericks. McCollum is excited to play on the King holiday.
“King’s legacy means a lot to me,” McCollum said. “Understanding the history, understanding what he went through, what he fought for in terms of freedom for all, freedom for us as a people. And to continue try to figure out ways that allow us to all be successful and be able to utilize all the resources that are around us from schools to hospitals to water fountains to cars to buses, all those things I think he fought have made a difference in our lives today.”
The Pelicans, who lead the Southwest Division, entered Monday fifth in the Western Conference standings. The Pelicans advanced to the final four of the NBA in-season tournament, but were hammered by the eventual tournament champion Los Angeles Lakers 133-89 on Dec. 7 in Las Vegas. Since then, McCollum, Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson and the Pelicans are 12-5.
So, what is the difference from the Pelicans in Las Vegas to now?
“We’re healthy, more focused and have a better understanding of what we need to accomplish as a team,” McCollum said. “It takes time to mesh. It takes time to coexist with other elite players. And I think we’re finally getting to that point where we’re comfortable not only playing together but having those conversations about spacing and playcalling. And the rest of it’s just doing the work that the coaches put in front of you. And I think we’re doing that.”
