High school seniors trickled into the Detroit Institute of Arts on a Thursday morning in early February.
Lining the entrance of the film theatre were colorful posters, each telling a different story. The setting was part of the Detroit Pistons’ 19th annual Black History Month scholarship contest. At the event, each competitor was asked:
“How do you embody black excellence?”
Former Piston and advocate for the event, Earl Cureton, embodied Black excellence every day.
Cureton passed away unexpectedly a few days before the contest, leaving a noticeable absence in the Pistons’ Black History Month celebration. A Detroit native, Cureton starred at Detroit Finney and Detroit Mercy before a 12-year NBA career that included two championships and a Pistons stint that lasted several seasons. After his playing career was over, Cureton became a Pistons Community ambassador in 2013, and was a proud supporter of the Pistons’ Black History Month initiatives, serving as a judge for the scholarship event in previous years. Cureton was also a champion in the community and a mentor for Detroit youth.
“It's really hard to talk about him in the past tense just because Earl did a lot not only for our organization, but also for the community as well,” Pistons vice president of community relations and social responsibility Erika Swilley said. “He was a pillar of love, light and hope. He wanted to reach back and make sure that the generation, this next generation knew they could aspire to be whatever they wanted to be.”
Scholarship event host and former Piston Rick Mahorn added: “It pains me because this is an event Earl and I would be at together. As African Americans, and all cultures and nationalities, we fail to realize that being separate doesn't make us stronger, being together makes us stronger. And that's not just for Black excellence but for human excellence.”
In honor of Cureton, the winner of the poster portion of the scholarship event will be awarded the Earl Cureton scholarship. The scholarship event was one of several Black History Month events hosted by the Pistons. Events included the celebration of Historically Black Colleges and Universities and the National Pan-Hellenic Council during a game, a company sponsored trip to the Motown Museum for employees and a Black excellence dinner at the Henry Ford Museum with community members, Pistons players, scholarship winners, and the NBA Retired Players Association. Additionally, the team will wear 'EC’ patches to honor Cureton on its jerseys for the rest of the season.
“Earl was such a beautiful, positive person,” Pistons owner Tom Gores said. “Just knowing Earl personally, he would text me almost every week, sometimes when I was down. He would go, ‘How you doing, TG?’ He would always check in, he always cared about other people. He would always ask me what he could do for me. That's just the kind of guy he really was. We all miss him.”
Since establishing the annual Black History Month scholarship event in 2005, the Pistons have awarded scholarships to more than 100 students totaling over $750,000. This year, each contestant who participated in the event received a new computer on behalf of Human-I-T.
“I am ecstatic,” University Prep Academy senior Leah Vaughn said after being awarded the $20,000 scholarship. “My mom is a single mother of five adopted children, so we don’t have much money to stretch so this is going to help me with loans and everything.”
Jalen Rose Leadership Academy senior King Bethel won the poetry slam. He wowed the audience and judges with compelling storytelling capabilities and the use of song in his poem.
“I've never sang in one of my pieces and I wanted to incorporate a different element into my poem,” Bethel said. “I truly just trusted my gut. I went with it, and I put my heart into it.”
Bethel plans to use the $25,000 scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston.
The Pistons partnered with the Children’s Foundation, Huntington Bank, Priority Health, Stackwell and the United Dairy Industry of Michigan to raise scholarship funds.
The importance of HBCUs
The National Pan-Hellenic Council’s reds, pinks, blues and purples filled the Little Caesars Arena concourse on a Friday evening in early February. For the Pistons home game against the Los Angeles Clippers, the LCA concourse was adorned with Black History Month-themed balloons, symbolizing pride and unity. The colors also honor the importance of Black fraternities and sororities in the HBCU community. The council is a consortium of Black fraternities and sororities.
Before the game, attendees gathered in the LCA Biergarten for a panel discussion featuring Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design founder Dr. D’Wayne Edwards and General Motors senior manager of DEI communications Nicole Simmons, who discussed the importance of HBCUs and Black fraternities and sororities.
“Every student that comes through our doors, we embrace them, help them understand they're not alone and create environments where they not only feel safe but inspired,” Edwards said during the panel. “Making an environment safe enough for them to dream way beyond what they thought they could do and leave with the understanding that anything truly is possible.”
To kick off the home game, NPHC representative Chiara Clayton performed Lift Every Voice and Sing and the national anthem with other choir members of Second Ebenezer Church.
With the assistance of Pistons dancers and mascot Hooper, the halftime performance featured a “stroll off” from Black sorority and fraternity representatives from Michigan and Ohio colleges that hyped the crowd.
“When you come into a room and you are amongst other people who went to HBCUs, it's just like you are at home,” Edwards said at the game. “And when you are in these environments with alumnus and alumni of these schools, you feel like you never left the one you attended.”
The Sound of a Generation
A few blocks north of the Henry Ford DetroitPistons Performance Center in the New Center neighborhood lies a white house with a royal blue door and trim. Under the second-floor windows is the iconic “Hitsville U.S.A” sign that symbolized Motown’s first headquarters and recording studio.
“Motown is probably the most popular black startup in the world,” Pistons vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion Stefen Welch said while standing on the porch where Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson and other famous artists once stood.
Motown founder Berry Gordy bought the house in 1959 and it has become an integral part of Detroit’s history. During a time of conflict, racism and equality activism, Motown brought unity and became the “Sound of a Generation”. On Feb. 9th, the Pistons organization had more than 110 employees tour the museum for an opportunity to learn more about the city.
“I feel like Motown was groundbreaking on so many different levels from the standpoint of putting Detroit more on the map,” business development executive Alex Samosiuk said.
Groups of 20 walked throughout the museum accompanied by tour guides and learned about the vast history of Motown’s mark on the music industry. The recording studio, office and echo chamber are kept in their original states to illustrate the environment that ran 24 hours a day in its heyday.
“I truly believe Detroit is the heartbeat of America,” Welch said. “And at the end of the day, I can go anywhere in the world and more than likely, if I say, ‘I got sunshine’, somebody else is going to say, ‘on a cloudy day’ and so it's important for us to continue to remember that legacy.”
Continuing Earl’s Legacy
Cureton was laid to rest on Feb. 10 when former Pistons players like Isiah Thomas, Mahorn, family, friends, team executives, politicians, Detroit police and other community members filled the pews of St. Cecilia’s Church on the west side of Detroit.
Later in the month, the Henry Ford Museum hosted a celebration of Black excellence in late February. Pistons players, former players, politicians, Pistons front office members and other community leaders filled the exhibit that was decorated with Black History Month colors.
With Cureton’s passing only a few weeks prior, his absence was felt throughout the evening.
“It’s really sad that Earl’s not here because tonight’s whole theme of giving and helping your fellow man was what he was all about,” former Piston and Bally Sports analyst Greg Kelser said. “I knew Earl for 51 years and we met through basketball, but I know he’s here, watching. His presence is felt.”
The evening honored the late Sam Washington, the creator of basketball leagues at St. Cecilia’s gym, and George “The Iceman” Gervin, an NBA Hall of Famer.
“Black excellence means life, it means that we have the opportunity to share our excellence with everyone,” said Detroit native and former NBA player Derrick Coleman, who serves as president of the NBA Retired Players Association Detroit chapter.
“So when I see somebody that looks like me that are doing amazing and great things, that lets me know that I can also do that and make those accomplishments.”
To honor Cureton, who served on the board of Ceciliaville and championed the restoration of the storied basketball gym, a portion of the proceeds from the dinner will benefit Ceciliaville.
“Earl would be smiling right now because he was a champion for direct funds back to the refurbishment of St. Cecilia and he was a big part of the Retired Players Association, which is all about community and efforts to improve our surroundings and the lives of others,” Kelser said.
“This was right in his wheel-house, so we did tonight with Earl in mind.”