This episode is all about pioneering African American basketball star Zachary “Zach” Clayton, who will be enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame this week.
Episode 2: All About Zach Clayton
The Basketball Hall of Fame has elected Black Fives Era pioneer Zack Clayton for enshrinement in its Class of 2017!
We’re proud to collaborate with the Atlanta Hawks for their awesome Black History Month celebration featuring Black Fives Era basketball history!
Through a generous donor gift we recently acquired a major historical African American basketball artifact for the Black Fives Foundation Archives! Take a look!
This historic 1941 basketball ticket that celebrates FDR’s birthday and raises funds to prevent Infantile Paralysis represents a major milestone in the sport.
He will become the first individual ever enshrined in both the Cooperstown (baseball) and Springfield (basketball) Halls of Fame!
This week’s artifact is literally one of the building blocks of America’s basketball history as well as the Harlem Renaissance Period. #makehistorynow
This week’s artifact is a special book by a beloved athlete, activist, and scholar. (Hint: There’s a stadium named after him.)
In 1946, ‘The Game of the Century’ was played in New Britain, CT between the New York Renaissance and the New Britain Pros. Who won?
A vintage pair of 1930s basketball kneepads.
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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