Celebrate The Three All-Black Squads That Won The World’s Pro Basketball Championship Title, In 1939, 1940, and 1943 Our new Spring 2025 Collection celebrates the three African American teams that won the World’s Pro Basketball Championship, played from 1939 to 1948. The World’s Pro Basketball Championship took place in Chicago from 1939 to 1948. During… Read more »
Spring 2025 World’s Pro Champs Collection
NEW YORK – For the fourth consecutive season, the BIG EAST Conference will partner with the Black Fives Foundation, a nonprofit public charity dedicated to inspiring excellence in youth by preserving, teaching, and honoring the pre-NBA history of African Americans in basketball. This year’s theme, “Pioneers of Change,” will shine a spotlight on the early African American trailblazers who revolutionized the game and… Read more »
Diverse cohort of five new members strengthens our mission and focus By Claude Johnson Welcoming New Board Members I am thrilled to welcome five new members to our Board of Directors here at the Black Fives Foundation. They are Tiffany Crowe, Cassius Johnson, Kiel King, Kevin McGruder, and Charles Wade. This addition marks an auspicious… Read more »
PRESS RELEASE BLACK FIVES NONPROFIT ANNOUNCES HARLEM COURT REPAINTING PROJECT TO HONOR 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF HISTORIC NEW YORK RENS BASKETBALL TEAM, ON LOCATION AT SELECTED SITE Working With Manhattan Borough President’s Office and NYC Parks In Partnership With SLAM Media And Project Backboard, The Public Outdoor Court At Howard Bennett Playground On West 135th Street Has… Read more »
Proper Acknowledgement Of This History-Making All-Black Basketball Team With Lasting, Inspiring Commemoration Initiatives In Harlem BACKGROUND Formed 100 years ago, in 1923, the New York Rens were the first Black-owned, all-Black, fully professional basketball team in history. This Harlem-based squad won 85% of its games with 150-game schedules from 1923 to 1949, the equivalent of an NBA… Read more »
The Black Fives Foundation joins the 9th annual BIG EAST Freshman Fundamentals Program
A groundbreaking, timely history of the largely unknown early days of Black basketball, bringing to life the trailblazing players, teams, and impresarios who made the game.
We’re very excited about re-introducing our own original retro-inspired private label, Physical Culture Supply Co.
The BIG EAST Conference is partnering with the Black Fives Foundation to host 22 games that honor pioneering Black teams, players, and communities.
At their media day, the Big East announced a conference-wide, 22-team educational initiative with the Black Fives Foundation.
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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