Oklahoma City, Monday, Feb. 4, 2019 – The Oklahoma City Thunder will celebrate Black History Month throughout February. The month will tip off with the Thunder’s game against the Orlando Magic on Tuesday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. The game will include pregame festivities throughout the arena and in-game features of black history, including a player address from Thunder forward, Nerlens Noel.
Also that night, the Greater Mount Olive Church will perform, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” prior to the national anthem performed by recording artist and Oklahoma native, Mary Millben. Another Oklahoma native, Jabee, actor and hip-hop artist will perform at halftime. Sker Rogers will perform a black history-inspired live art piece in section 110, which will remain on display throughout the month of February. Prior to the game, students from Millwood will take part in a lecture from the Greenwood Cultural Center on the topic of Black Wall Street and entrepreneurship.
On Thursday, Feb. 7, Langston University’s Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity will perform a step show at the halftime of the Thunder vs. Grizzlies game. Depictions of community and historical leaders will be on display at the arena’s chalk wall in section 312. All games throughout the month will feature special activations with a black history background.
On Sunday, Feb. 10, Thunder Youth Basketball will host a Thunder Character Combine, a new program which teaches kids how small wins lead to larger success. The event will include a fast-paced circuit program that provides health and wellness stations and a lesson on relating the parallel between everyday wins turning into off-court success.
Thunder players will board the Rolling Thunder Book Bus presented by American Fidelity and surprise kids at a local elementary school on Thursday, Feb. 21. The students will be able to take home a book of their choice as well as an additional book celebrating black history.
On Saturday, Feb. 23, the Thunder will honor the winners of the Black Heritage Creative Contest on-court and display the winning entries within the arena. The contest encourages kids in kindergarten through grade 12 to submit an essay, poem or visual arts piece honoring an outstanding individual in black history or an impactful African-American in their life. To encourage participation for kids of all backgrounds, the Thunder will visit the Boys and Girls Club as well as Studio Saturday at the Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center with supplies and application forms for the Black Heritage Creative Contest.
Thunder staff members will participate in a black history assembly at Will Rogers Elementary School on Wednesday, Feb. 27, to speak about achievement, setting goals and the importance of staying in staying in school.
Throughout the month, Thunder staff and players will wear one-of-a-kind Black History Month shirts at all activations celebrating black pioneers from Oklahoma and throughout the world.
Fans can browse all available tickets through a link at okcthunder.com/buytickets. All tickets sold through the Thunder website, both from the team and from other fans, are authentic and guarantee admission into Chesapeake Energy Arena for the game.