Social Justice

Black Fives Era Basketball Exhibit to showcase in New York

Just a few years after the invention of “Basket Ball,” black players in segregated America formed leagues of their own, eventually creating a barnstorming circuit featuring such teams as the New York Renaissance, the Washington Bears and the Harlem Globetrotters.

Published

12 years ago

March 10, 2014

UVM Staff

The Black Fives Era Harlem Globetrotters

Photo Credit: CBS Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

A Black Fives Era basketball exhibit will be showcased in New York City.

Just a few years after the invention of “Basketball,” Black players in segregated America formed leagues of their own, eventually creating a troupe featuring teams as the New York Renaissance, the Washington Bears and the Harlem Globetrotters.

Dozens of teams flourished between 1904 and 1950 in what became known as the Black Fives Era, an often-overlooked piece of Black history that is the subject of an exhibition opening at the New-York Historical Society on March 14.

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Related Topics:Blacks in History Featured

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Unheard Voices, an award-winning, family-operated online news magazine, began in 2004 as a community newsletter serving Neptune, Asbury Park, and Long Branch, N.J. Over time, it grew into a nationally recognized Black-owned media outlet. The publication remains one of the few dedicated to covering social justice issues. Its honors include the NAACP Unsung Hero Award and multiple media innovator awards for excellence in social justice reporting and communications.