During the 1910s, a Lower East Side basketball coach brought Jewish Americans and African Americans together in the sport for the first time. Who was he? What did he do? Was he Jewish?
The Original Nexus of Blacks and Jews in Basketball (Parts 3-5 of 9)
During the 1910s, a Lower East Side basketball coach brought African Americans and Jewish Americans together in the sport for the first time. Who was he? What did he do? Was he Jewish?
In addition to being banned for life, Donald Sterling also should be forced to visit the Black Fives exhibition now at the New-York Historical Society, which reveals that blacks and whites have been working together in basketball for a very, very long time.
Let’s hear it for African American basketball pioneer Harry “Bucky” Lew, born on this date in 1884. Happy Birthday!
It was an honor to be recognized at Rucker Park for my work with the Black Fives, along with Nate Archibald, Emmette Bryant, Dean Meminger, and Earl Monroe.
Please join us in welcoming Julia Alexander, Robert Castaneda, and Eric Vinson to our inaugural board of directors!
Here is what some of basketball’s founding fathers would say about the current N.B.A. lockout.
Globetrotters pioneer Reece ‘Goose’ Tatum, known as the “Clown Prince of Basketball,” will be enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2011.
Introducing the official new Facebook fan page for the New York Renaissance a.k.a. Harlem Rens vintage all-black professional basketball team of the 1920s, 30s, and 40s.
George Crowe had been the last living member of the New York Renaissance (a.k.a. “Rens”) professional all-black basketball team. He was 89 years old.
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Black Fives
We inspire excellence in youth and communities by preserving, teaching, and honoring the pre-NBA history of African Americans in basketball.
For years, we have been building something truly remarkable.![]()
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Something deeper than what’s visible on the surface.![]()
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This piece, created by the Gee’s Bend Quilters Collective from remnants of our Black Fives throwback jerseys, carries that idea.![]()
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On the front, you see something beautiful.![]()
On the back, you see the work.![]()
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Tens of thousands of stitches.![]()
Each one holding the whole together.![]()
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Like the earlier African American basketball pioneers whose names were forgotten, but whose work helped shape the game.![]()
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Like the countless people, often unseen, who did and are doing the work that holds our country together.![]()
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The surface only exists because of what’s behind it.![]()
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And it’s only as strong as the weakest stitch.![]()
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Do we really want to remove certain stitches?![]()
Are we OK with pieces falling apart?![]()
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Do we value the work we don’t see?![]()
Do we recognize it?![]()
Do we protect it?![]()
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That’s the real story.![]()
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A cultural archive. A sports heritage platform.![]()
Build with us.![]()
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Make History Now.![]()
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#culturalheritage ![]()
#intellectualproperty ![]()
#archives ![]()
#sportsbusiness ![]()
#blackhistory
For years, we have been building something truly remarkable.![]()
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A deep archive of early African American basketball.![]()
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The stories, the images, the history that shaped the game.![]()
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But this is more than an archive.![]()
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It’s a cultural IP and sports heritage platform.![]()
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Infrastructure of history, identity, and assets ready to build with.![]()
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For partners, institutions, and brands who want real cultural authenticity, not just performative optics.![]()
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Build with us.![]()
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blackfives.org/build![]()
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#blackhistory #culturalheritage #brandpartnerships #archives #intellectualproperty