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)
New on-court mural at Howard Bennett Playground in Harlem honors the legendary New York Rens.
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 »
How does a ticket to a 1941 basketball doubleheader link Ohio, the tire industry, burgers, the Star of David, Harlem, FDR, Nike, the UN, and Norman Rockwell?
This historic 1941 basketball ticket that celebrates FDR’s birthday and raises funds to prevent Infantile Paralysis represents a major milestone in the sport.
This week’s artifact is literally one of the building blocks of America’s basketball history as well as the Harlem Renaissance Period. #makehistorynow
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?
To celebrate the start of Black History Month 2016, we launched a new feature called the Artifact of the Week.
The brothers Ulysses S. “Lyss” Young and William “Pimp” Young, unsung African American basketball pioneers who took their games far beyond the courts.
Part 2 of my two-part article on John ‘Boy Wonder’ Isaacs, originally published in the 2015 Enshrinement Weekend Yearbook of the Basketball Hall of Fame.
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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