The Cleveland Cavaliers 11th annual Black Heritage Celebration (BHC) will tip off on Martin Luther King Jr. Day— Monday, January 19th at the Cavs vs. Chicago Bulls game at Quicken Loans Arena at 7:30 p.m. To begin the celebration themed “Making a Difference. One Generation to the Next," the team will remember Dr. King, the pastor, activist and humanitarian who led the African American civil rights movement.
In February, Black History Month, the Cavs will feature themed game nights dedicated to recognizing the achievements of African Americans who have paved the path for the next generation. The team's game presentation will highlight inspiring black history moments- interviews with influential African Americans, including notable Cavs legends and players; and special halftime performances. There will also be several community outreach initiatives during the month as Cavs players and front office team members volunteer their time and service to projects throughout Northeast Ohio.
The Cavs, in partnership with Hennessy, have teamed up with the Marcus Graham Project (MGP) to host a weekend-long Sports Marketing Workshop for diverse professionals (February 26th through March 1st at Quicken Loans Arena). The Marcus Graham Project is a network of young professionals formed with the purpose of developing the next generation of leadership by mentoring and training ethnically diverse men and women in all aspects of the advertising, media and marketing industry.
Workshop participants will receive first-hand knowledge from some of today’s top executives in the Sports Marketing industry. One standout participant from the workshop will earn the opportunity to be sponsored by the Cavs and Hennessey to attend MGP's iCR8 Summer Boot Camp in Dallas, Texas.
Visit www.cavs.com/bhc for more information and to register for the MGP workshop.
“The goal for this year’s BHC is to celebrate black history by acknowledging the difference makers of the past and how they inspired change to give the next generation the opportunity to realize their dreams,” said Campy Russell, Cavaliers Legend and BHC committee member.
Signature Black Heritage Celebration theme nights at Cavs games in February include:
February 2nd vs Philadelphia 76ers at 7:00 p.m.
The team will honor Herb Douglas, Harrison Dillard and John Carlos - three former Olympic medalists who laid the foundation for African American athletes of today. Herb Douglas is the oldest living African American Olympic medalist, taking the bronze medal in the long jump at the 1948 London games. Harrison Dillard, born in Cleveland and graduate of Baldwin Wallace College, is the only male to win Olympic titles in both the sprinting and hurdling events. John Carlos, a bronze-medal winner at the 1968 Summer Olympics, is best remembered for courageously raising his black-gloved fist as an act of protest in Mexico City.
February 26th vs Golden State Warriors at 8:00 p.m.
To conclude the month-long celebration, Cleveland Heights native and winner of BET’s “Sunday Best," a Gospel singing competition series, Geoffrey Golden, backed with a magnificent choir, will perform LIVE at halftime. In-sync with an incredible 3D court-projected montage, the performance will feature the past 10 years of BHC honorees produced by the Cavs award-winning game presentation team.
To learn more about the Cavaliers 11th annual Black Heritage Celebration visit www.cavs.com/bhc.