BIG EAST & Creighton Honors Black Fives Era during Black History Month
BIG EAST Conference joins forces with Black Fives Foundation for a first of its kind initiative to honor pre-NBA history of African Americans in Basketball
BIG EAST Conference
During the month of February, the BIG EAST Conference and Creighton Athletics will celebrate Black History Month by partnering with the Black Fives Foundation, a nonprofit public charity whose mission is to research, preserve, showcase, teach, and honor the pre-NBA history of African Americans in basketball, to host 22 games honoring Black athletes, coaches, and communities who played a critical part in America's basketball history.
After basketball was invented in 1891, teams were often called "fives," for their five starting players. The sport, like society, was racially segregated, and all-Black squads were called "Black fives." From 1904, when basketball was first introduced to African Americans on a wide scale organized basis, through the racial integration of all-White professional leagues in the 1940's, dozens of Black fives emerged and thrived while their skill, athleticism, and innovative styles of play helped shape and popularize the game to know and love today.
"Our basketball-centric identity and commitment to diversity and inclusion creates an optimal conference-wide platform for our men's and women's basketball teams to honor the Black Fives Era and educate individuals on this significant time in Black history," said BIG EAST Commissioner, Val Ackerman. "This is an opportunity to celebrate pioneers in the member schools' communities and to highlight their impact on the game of basketball and the community as a whole."
Black Fives flourished on the amateur, semi-professional and professional levels in cities like New York City, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Chicago, as well as in other locations with substantial African American populations. The men and women of the Black Fives Era opened doors for generations of African American players and coaches while staging culturally rich, socially meaningful events that strengthened and inspired Black communities in the face of Jim Crow oppression.
For 22 games, the BIG EAST Men's and Women's Basketball Teams will be wearing the name and logo of a Black Fives Team to honor these pioneers. Coaches will wear a "Make History Now" pin to draw awareness to the Foundation's mission, and fans will be educated through videos and other game time promotions on the relevance and importance of the Black Fives.
"We are excited about partnering with the BIG EAST Conference for this educational initiative to raise awareness about the pre-NBA history of African Americans in basketball," said Claude Johnson, Executive Director of the Black Fives Foundation. "We're thrilled to tell the stories of the players and teams from each of its member school regions, whose pioneering contributions helped shape the sport we know and love today. Exploring this history will be especially meaningful because BIG EAST member schools are among the finest academic institutions in the world. We are proud and honored to be working with the BIG EAST Conference."
This is the first time that basketball programs across an entire athletic conference (either collegiate or professional) have come together to honor the Black Fives and showcase the impact these pioneering teams had on the sport.
Fans can follow all of the BIG EAST Black History Month initiatives on Twitter and Instagram at @BIGEAST.
Creighton Connections
As we near the end of #BlackHistoryMonth we will not stop celebrating the legacies of past and current members of the Creighton community.
— Creighton Men’s Basketball (@BluejayMBB) February 25, 2022
Len Gordy has been on the our sideline since 1994, and is an active member of the community, making a large impact in a variety of spaces. pic.twitter.com/yVviV5y3mB
As we continue #BlackHistoryMonth, tonight we honor Bob Gibson. He was the first member of the Creighton Athletics Hall of Fame in 1968. Gibson’s number, 45, was retired and hangs in the rafters of CHI. pic.twitter.com/2M3pLefIWg
— Creighton Men’s Basketball (@BluejayMBB) February 9, 2022
As we near the end of #BlackHistoryMonth we will not stop celebrating the legacies of past and current members of the Creighton community.
— Creighton Women’s Basketball (@CreightonWBB) February 25, 2022
Jaylyn Agnew was the first Bluejay to be selected in the WNBA Draft and is now playing in Israel after recovering from a difficult injury. pic.twitter.com/ZaRKcsxfu8
We continue to celebrate #BlackHistoryMonth by honoring Tanya Warren.
— Creighton Bluejays (@gocreighton) February 7, 2022
After her time at Creighton, Warren became the head coach at the University of Northern Iowa, making her the first black female head coach in Missouri Valley Conference history. pic.twitter.com/Yhl10VAvpq
Throughout #BlackHistoryMonth we are honoring distinguished Creighton student-athletes and university alumni.
— Creighton Bluejays (@gocreighton) February 1, 2022
We begin on the 19th anniversary of Michael Anderson’s passing. On campus, Anderson Plaza is named after the former Master of Science student. pic.twitter.com/balhoaayVI
We now honor the legacy of Major General Marcia Anderson.
— Creighton Bluejays (@gocreighton) February 25, 2022
Anderson graduated with a degree in political science from Creighton in 1979 and currently serves as United States Bankruptcy Court Clerk for the West District of Wisconsin. #BlackHistoryMonth pic.twitter.com/IHrfhggPHQ
Join us during this #BlackHistoryMonth in celebrating Kimera Bartee and his contributions to the game of baseball.
— Creighton Bluejays (@gocreighton) February 17, 2022
Son of Jerry Bartee, an Omaha Native and former Bluejay himself, Kimera Bartee helped take Creighton to the College World Series in 1991. pic.twitter.com/5x5viAN2wD
We continue #BlackHistoryMonth by recognizing Cathy Hughes.
— Creighton Bluejays (@gocreighton) February 22, 2022
In 1971, she moved to Washington, D.C. where she became the first women Vice President and General Manager of a radio station in the nation’s capital. pic.twitter.com/7bmyKiZbzK
To continue #BlackHistoryMonth we celebrate Josh Dotzler and his work through @AbideOmaha.
— Creighton Bluejays (@gocreighton) February 14, 2022
Abide is a nonprofit mission focused on revitalizing the inner city of Omaha. He has used his voice on a national and a local level to ignite change. pic.twitter.com/Gnz8XzJiMM
Creighton Home Black Fives Games and Team Names
Creighton Women's Basketball (Roamer Girls) - Wednesday, February 2nd vs. Connecticut (Hartford Tigerettes)
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Manager: Grace Presbyterian Church
Established: 1921
The Roamer Athletic Club women's basketball team, known as the Roamer Girls, was formed in Chicago in 1921.
Originally affiliated with the city's Grace Presbyterian Church's Sunday School, the all-Black squad played home games at the Bronzeville's famed Eighth Regiment Armory and featured stars such as 6-foot 7-inch center Helen Smith, Kate Bard, Lula Porter, and Isadore "Izzy" Channels. Channels was a superb athlete and may have been Chicago's first trash-talker, pre-dating Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan by more than 50 years. "Scoring and passing at will and even at times joking," the Chicago Defender reported after one of her games in 1925, "she played a game far above the heads of her opponents and far in advance of her colleagues, registering 19 of the points scored by her team."
When the Roamer Girls joined the women's division of the Chicago City Basketball League in 1925, competing against White and African American teams throughout the city, they captivated fans across race and gender lines.
This momentum continued well into the 1930s with their barnstorming strips throughout the Midwest and West, inspiring new generations of female ballers for years to come.
Creighton Men's Basketball (Cudahy Rex) - Tuesday, February 8th vs. Butler (Short's Café Five)
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
Established: 1930
During the 1930s and 40s, the Omaha-based Cudahy Packing Company was among the so-called "big four" of meatpackers, including Armour, Swift, and Wilson.
Cudahy operated a large packing plant in South Omaha that produced hams, bacon, lard, beef, and lamb, eventually becoming the "biggest employer of Negro labor" in the city.
By the 1930s, Omaha had the largest population of African Americans among Western cities, second only to Los Angeles.
In 1930, the company organized an all-Black basketball team comprised of its own African American employees known as Cudahy Rex, named after the company's popular brand of cooking lard.
"No other word except 'flashy' can describe their two-toned satin sweat jackets," the Grand Island Herald wrote in 1936. But they were no flash in the pan. Its players were former star athletes from the city's predominantly Black high schools, North High and East High.
In addition to competing for an annual plant-wide basketball championship, Cudahy Rex also played throughout the Omaha region and in local Urban League and YMCA open tournaments. During the 1936-37 season, the Rex team was directed by Creighton University trainer Otto Williams, according to the Omaha Evening Bee-News.
The existence of the Cudahy Rex team was an important step by the company during this time because African Americans in Omaha could be arrested, jailed, and fined merely for having "no visible means of support," then forced to work off their fines laboring for the city.
The company's president, Ed Cudahy, Jr., was known for his progressive views and in his 1938 letter to employees openly asked why, with all the country's "wealth, comforts and conveniences of life," had America "not long since conquered the depression and why millions of our workers are unemployed."
Remaining Schedule of Games
| MEN’S BASKETBALL – BLACK FIVES GAMES | ||||||
| Tue. | Feb. | 1 | 6:30PM | CREIGHTON | AT | CONNECTICUT – FS1 |
| Tue. | Feb. | 1 | 8:30PM | SETON HALL | AT | GEORGETOWN – FS1 |
| Tues. | Feb. | 1 | 9:00PM | PROVIDENCE | AT | ST. JOHN’S – CBSSN |
| Wed. | Feb. | 2 | 7:00PM | BUTLER | AT | XAVIER – CBSSN |
| Wed. | Feb. | 2 | 10:00PM | VILLANOVA | AT | MARQUETTE – FS1 |
| Fri. | Feb. | 4 | 7:00PM | CREIGHTON | AT | SETON HALL – FS1 |
| Sat. | Feb. | 5 | 12:00PM | ST JOHN’S | AT | BUTLER – FS1 |
| Sat. | Feb. | 5 | 12:00PM | CONNECTICUT | AT | VILLANOVA – FOX |
| Tue. | Feb. | 8 | 9:00PM | BUTLER | AT | CREIGHTON – CBSSN |
| Wed. | Feb. | 9 | 9:00PM | GEORGETOWN | AT | DEPAUL – FS1 |
| Sat. | Feb. | 12 | 6:30PM | DEPAUL | AT | PROVIDENCE – FS1 |
| WOMEN’S BASKETBALL – BLACK FIVES GAMES | ||||||
| Wed. | Feb. | 2 | 7:00PM | GEORGETOWN | AT | SETON HALL – BEDN |
| Wed. | Feb. | 2 | 7:30PM | CONNECTICUT | AT | CREIGHTON – SNY |
| Fri. | Feb. | 4 | 7:00PM | BUTLER | AT | CONNECTICUT – SNY |
| Fri. | Feb. | 4 | 2:00PM | VILLANOVA | AT | ST. JOHN’S – BEDN |
| Fri. | Feb. | 4 | 7:00PM | SETON HALL | AT | XAVIER – BEDN |
| Fri. | Feb. | 4 | 8:00PM | CREIGHTON | AT | DEPAUL – BEDN |
| Sun. | Feb. | 6 | 2:00PM | CREIGHTON | AT | MARQUETTE – FS1 |
| Sun. | Feb. | 6 | 2:00PM | SETON HALL | AT | BUTLER – BEDN |
| Sun. | Feb. | 6 | 2:00PM | GEORGETOWN | AT | VILLANOVA – BEDN |
| Fri. | Feb. | 11 | 7:00PM | BUTLER | AT | PROVIDENCE – BEDN |
| Sun. | Feb. | 13 | 2:00PM | DEPAUL | AT | GEORGETOWN – BEDN |
Times are listed in Eastern
Media Contact:
John Paquette
Senior Associate Commissioner, Sports Media Relations
E-mail: jpaquette@bigeast.com
Office: 646-663-3443
About The Black Fives Foundation:
The Greenwich, CT-based Black Fives Foundation is a 501(c)3 public charity whose mission is to research, preserve, showcase, teach, and honor the pre-NBA history of African Americans in basketball, a period known as the Black Fives Era that lasted from the early 1900s to 1950, when the NBA signed its first Black players. The organization advocates expanding Black history education overall to amplify and include this important basketball history, utilizing nearly 1,000 related artifacts in its historical archive as well as a portfolio of related intellectual property and other difference-making initiatives. For more information, please visit http://www.blackfives.org/.
About The BIG EAST:
The BIG EAST Conference is an association of 11 nationally prominent colleges and universities that foster healthy athletic competition, community service and the pursuit of excellence in academic environments. The athletic programs of BIG EAST institutions provide national-caliber participation opportunities for more than 4,100 student-athletes on over 200 men's and women's teams in 22 sports. Established in 1979 and headquartered in New York City, the BIG EAST's members are located in eight of the country's top 36 largest media markets and include Butler University, University of Connecticut, Creighton University, DePaul University, Georgetown University, Marquette University, Providence College, St. John's University, Seton Hall University, Villanova University and Xavier University. For more information, visit www.bigeast.com.