We recently acquired this very rare original photograph of Long Island University‘s epic 1939-40 basketball team. A remarkable artifact, it is autographed by all but one of the players on the Blackbirds squad that season, as well as by head coach Clair Bee. And it includes trailblazing African American basketball star William “Dolly” King, known… Read more »
Long Island University’s Epic 1939-40 Basketball Team (Autographed)
We are thankful for a generous gift that allowed us to acquire a collection of rare early African American artifacts for our Black Fives Foundation Archives.
Our new logo for the Black Fives Foundation Archives, to give them their own identity and their own focus within the overall mission of the organization.
A collection of rare photographs and other historical materials relating to Harlem Globe Trotters have been donated to the Black Fives Foundation Historical Archive.
The Black Fives Foundation is expanding and reinforcing its mission and goals with solid momentum from strategic partnerships and its first grant.
Images from some of our recent school visits, where we are presenting the local history of the Black Fives Era of basketball in partnership with the Brooklyn Nets as a part of their Nets Assist educational programming.
Claude Johnson will present “The Crucial Role of Ephemera in Tracing Black Basketball History” at the Ephemera Society of America’s 35th Annual Conference, March 20 in Greenwich, CT.
NPR News Morning Edition featured the recently opened Black Fives Exhibit at the New-York Historical Society in a segment this morning on member station WSHU 91.1 FM.
Margot Adler of NPR Weekend Edition Saturdays profiles The Black Fives Exhibition at the New-York Historical Society with a walk-through interview of guest curator Claude Johnson and chief Stephen Edidin.
A new exhibition opening March 14 at the New-York Historical Society celebrates a forgotten era in sports history. ‘The Black Fives’ explores the history of pioneering African American basketball teams from the early 1900s through 1950.
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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