In recognition of Black History Month, today, the Cleveland Cavaliers will begin a multi-week Black Heritage Celebration (BHC) presented by Crown Royal Regal Apple themed “Empowering and Inspiring One Generation to the Next.” The 17th annual BHC is an expanded recognition platform to honor and remember Black history, as well as to recognize those who have personally and positively impacted the Black community from Cleveland and Northeast Ohio.
The Cavs will use home games in February to showcase and amplify on-going team initiatives that (1) Celebrate Black History and Culture, (2) Invest in Black Futures, (3) Highlight Black Business and Entrepreneurship and (4) Inspire the Racial Justice Movement. The team will recognize these efforts through special video presentations on Humongotron for the currently restricted number of fans in attendance at the FieldHouse, as well as on team social media channels, Cavs.com, and in TV and radio game broadcasts and shows. BHC events will also be brought to life in a creative, virtual manner throughout the month-long celebration.
“We celebrate the achievements and contributions of African Americans, past and present, every day, but our celebration during Black History Month provides a featured platform to tell these stories with a deeper emphasis to inspire the heroes of tomorrow through education, awareness and recognition,” said Kevin Clayton, Cavaliers vice president of diversity, inclusion and community engagement. “While this BHC may be executed a bit differently due to COVID-19, we are more motivated than ever, and will continue to provide support and opportunity for the Black community in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio.”
Celebrate Black History and Culture:
An extension of the season-long partnership with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, who helped bring to life the popular City Edition uniform, the team will celebrate Black history and culture through the museum’s “It’s Been Said All Along: Voices of Rage, Hope & Empowerment” exhibit. The exhibit spotlights Black artists - from Mavis Staples to Public Enemy, Billie Holiday to N.W.A. — fighting for racial justice through music.
The Cavaliers will provide a special opportunity for a very talented Cleveland artist to be featured in the same exhibit that includes some of the most renowned artists in the music industry. Aldonte The Artist, the winner of the 2nd annual MARTK’D Art of Sneakers workshop competition at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, which in October showcased some of The Land’s top artists designing sneakers in real time, will have his winning shoe (right) featured in the exhibit. The winner, as well as select others who participated in the MARTK’D event, will also be recognized at an upcoming game. The shoes will be added to the exhibit the week of February 8th.
Invest in Black Futures:
The team continues to evolve and grow its relationship with the Cleveland Council of Black Colleges Alumni Association, most recently presenting and serving as the (virtual) host for their annual DESTINATION HBCU (Historically Black Colleges & Universities) College Fair this past November. In addition, the team partnered with the association to host an internship fair alongside Rocket Mortgage in December 2020. This relationship has blossomed, and to take it to the next level, the Cavs and Rocket Mortgage recently paid the application fee for over 600 local high school seniors applying to HBCUs across the country. The Cavs and Rocket Mortgage are also committed to following these students along their college journey, with the goal of culminating in career opportunities after graduation. A number of these students will be invited to an upcoming game in February, where they, along with the stories of HBCUs, will be recognized and celebrated.
The Cavaliers are also in their 7th consecutive year of partnership with the Marcus Graham Project (MGP) to host the iCR8 Sports Marketing Workshop in Cleveland. MGP was recently named among seven organizations that were awarded grants from the NBA Foundation. The high-intensity workshop, which initially launched in Cleveland during the 2014-15 NBA season, is for diverse students and professionals interested in a sports business career. Alumni of the Cavs MGP workshop have landed jobs throughout the industry, including within the Cavs organization. More information about a virtual MGP event coming soon.
Highlight Black Business and Entrepreneurship:
The Cavaliers will continue to highlight and provide opportunity for Black businesses and entrepreneurship through the introduction of Black Business and Basketball. This year-long platform will include initiatives like the very successful “A Taste of Black Cleveland” annual event, in partnership with the NAACP Cleveland Branch and The Real Black Friday, that shines a spotlight on local chefs and restaurateurs of color. While “A Taste of Black Cleveland” is paused due to COVID-19, the team will introduce additional Black Business and Basketball events in the coming month. Details to be announced soon.
Inspire Racial Justice Movement:
The team continues to make a positive impact in addressing social injustice through dedicated involvement in Team Up for Change, the Three Team Alliance with the Browns and Indians, the Greater Cleveland My Brother’s Keeper and Saving our Daughters program and more. This involvement will be elevated during the month and highlighted throughout BHC content.
Cavs BHC Games in February:
Cavaliers home games at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse currently have a state-restricted capacity of 10%, or about 2,000 fans, with extensive, industry-leading procedures, protocols, and technologies in place designed to keep everyone in attendance healthy, safe, and comfortable to enjoy their experience. Go to Cavs.com/tickets to learn more about the health and safety measures in place, and purchase tickets for an upcoming home game. Upcoming games are listed below with special BHC matchups bolded: