Malcolm Brogdon grew up in a family that treated service as a duty, and childhood trips to Ghana and Malawi showed him what a lack of clean water does to a community. As an NBA player he turned that memory into action, building wells across East Africa and investing in literacy and education back home, work that earned him the league's top citizenship honor.
Hoops2O: Where the Water Work Began
Brogdon launched Hoops2O as the NBA arm of Chris Long's Waterboys initiative, rallying players to fund clean-water wells in Tanzania. In its first 18 months the program raised nearly $700,000, and it helped build 11 wells for communities that had never had reliable access to safe drinking water.
Hoops4Humanity
Through his own foundation, Brogdon grew the idea into Hoops4Humanity, a player-led effort that funds clean-water projects at villages and elementary schools across Tanzania and Kenya. He travels to the region to see the wells in use, and he has recruited a long list of NBA and WNBA players to join the cause.
The Brogdon Family Foundation
In July 2020 Brogdon launched the Brogdon Family Foundation, run day to day by his mother, Jann Adams. The foundation works on three fronts: clean water through Hoops4Humanity, education through the JHA Education Project, and advocacy for civil and human rights.
The JHA Education Project
Named for his grandfather John Hurst Adams, a civil rights leader and former president of Paul Quinn College, the JHA Education Project supports literacy, mentoring, STEM and college-preparation programs for students in underserved communities. In Indianapolis it has partnered with the public schools to give students richer educational experiences.
A Voice for Voting and Justice
Brogdon's service has never stopped at funding programs. His advocacy for voting rights, criminal justice reform, and health and gender equity was central to his winning the 2019-20 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award, and in the summer of 2020 he helped lead a peaceful protest in his hometown of Atlanta.
The Malcolm Brogdon Bicentennial Scholarship
Brogdon has also given back to the University of Virginia, where he earned two degrees before his jersey number was retired. An endowed scholarship in his name now supports future Virginia men's basketball players as they pursue their own degrees.
Brogdon's video diary, filmed on the ground in Kenya and Tanzania as he visits the well projects and the people they serve.
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