Our Mission


Mission:

The mission of the Black Fives Foundation is to inspire excellence in youth by preserving, teaching, and honoring the pre-NBA history of African Americans in basketball.

Purpose:

The purpose of our efforts include activities that:

  • uncover more details from this rich and forgotten aspect of American history
  • conserve the narratives and artifacts related to the historically important Black basketball experience that took place prior to the emergence of today’s professional and collegiate leagues
  • highlight, exhibit, and celebrate early African American basketball artifacts, narratives, and milestones
  • encourage understanding of early African American basketball history as an essential cultural genre and building block for understanding not only sports history but also American history
  • advocate for the proper recognition of early African American basketball pioneers