Duquesne, A-10 Host “The Black Fives” Webinar

Duquesne and the A-10 Commission on Racial Equity, Diversity & Inclusion will host a webinar on Thursday, Feb. 23 from 2 to 3 p.m. featuring Claude Johnson, author of The Black Fives: The Epic Story of Basketball’s Forgotten Era.

The interactive webinar, paying tribute to Black History Month, will be broadcast live on campus and available to the entire Duquesne community to watch in real time or via replay.

Johnson, who is an author, historian and founder of the Black Fives Foundation, has gained widespread national attention for chronicling this inspirational story. The idea for Johnson’s book began while he was working for the NBA in the late 1990s. During that time, he discovered an 800-page NBA Encyclopedia 50th Anniversary book that dedicated just three pages to African American basketball teams who had played prior to the league's formation in 1950. 

That set Johnson on a path to uncover and spotlight the deep history of African Americans playing basketball across the U.S. – both men’s and women’s teams – and ultimately led him to create the Black Fives Foundation.

As co-chairs of the A-10’s Commission on Racial Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, Duquesne University President Ken Gormley and La Salle University Athletic Director Brian Baptiste will serve as moderators of the virtual discussion, which will be filmed in Duquesne’s new state-of-the-art media studio. It will be broadcast for students, faculty and staff at all 15 A-10 university campuses to mark Black History Month. 

Register

Pictured above: Claude Johnson