VILLANOVA, Pa. – Villanova Athletics and UNITAS are proud to announce several events in celebration of Black History Month.
While opportunities for learning about the important legacies of Black people and communities are available throughout the year, February marks a special time when individuals can amplify their messages and raise their voices on crucial issues related to Black history, heritage, and culture. A full list of celebrations and learning opportunities at Villanova during February can be
found at this link.
One of the learning highlights of the month comes on Feb. 9 with a viewing and discussion of "The Loyola Project" in the Topper Theater as a part of the
63 for 63 Screening Series. This film tells the story of the Loyola Ramblers of Chicago that broke racial barriers and changed college basketball forever. Patrick Creadon, the director of the film, will be on hand to be a part of the discussion.
Throughout the month, Villanova Athletics will be highlighting Black alumni through Legacy Spotlights that can be found via @NovaAthletics on
Twitter and
Instagram. These spotlights are centered around the theme of Sankofa, a West African term meaning "reach back and fetch it," and the idea of looking back at the legacies and histories of those who came before us while empowering those yet to come. Interviews include Erv Hall (track and field), Bob Massie (track and field), Joyce Hunter (track and field), Sandra Williams (women's basketball), Reggie Robinson (men's basketball), and Bo-Dean Sanders (football).
Feb. 10-12, Villanova Athletics will host a Legacy Weekend to celebrate these alumni. The group will be honored at the men's and women's basketball games on Feb. 11. The weekend wraps up with a Soul Food Dinner on Feb. 12, hosted by UNITAS, Friends of Nova and the Alumni Office.
For a second consecutive year, Villanova Athletics, in conjunction with the
BIG EAST Conference and the Black Fives Foundation, will celebrate pioneers from the "Black Five" era. The
Black Fives were dozens of independent African American basketball teams that played prior to the integration of the National Basketball Association in 1950. Both the Men's and Women's basketball teams will wear shooting shirts representing teams from the Black Five era. The women's team will wear Tribune Girls shooting shirts for the Seton Hall (Feb. 11) game and the men's team will represent the Philadelphia Panthers at the Creighton (Feb. 25) game.
A schedule of events for the month can be found below:
Feb. 9: Screening of "The Loyola Project"
7 p.m. – Topper Theater
Feb. 12: Soul Food Dinner with UNITAS, Friends of Nova and the Alumni Office
6 p.m. – Finneran Pavilion
Feb. 11: Women's Basketball vs Seton Hall
1 p.m. – Finneran Pavilion
Feb. 25: Men's Basketball vs. Creighton
12 p.m. – Wells Fargo Center
UNITAS is a framework to build a welcoming and supportive athletic department through constructive dialogs, educational programming and community engagement. Through UNITAS, Villanova Athletics is committed to fostering an inclusive, anti-bigotry environment where every member of the community has a voice and feels respected, valued and safe.