PUMA ANNOUNCES MULTI-YEAR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BLACK FIVES FOUNDATION IN SUPPORT OF BLACK HISTORY EDUCATION REFORM
Global sports company PUMA is celebrating Black History Month by highlighting the work of Black leaders, partners and community organizations that continue to inspire and shape the future for generations to come.
Throughout the month, PUMA will stand alongside athletes, ambassadors and partners by amplifying their voices and actions across various platforms in support of universal equality, justice and acceptance for all.
To kick off the month, PUMA announced a multi-year partnership with the Black Fives Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit, whose mission since 2002 is to research, preserve, showcase, teach and honor the pre-NBA history of African Americans in basketball. The partnership will raise awareness about this vital history and its pioneering players, teams and contributors through initiatives that make a difference, as well as feature special apparel and footwear collections with popular PUMA styles including vintage graphics and logos maintained by the Foundation’s trademarked slogan, “Make History Now.”
“I’m proud and honored to partner with PUMA toward making a meaningful, long-lasting difference in expanding Black history education to include the pioneering African American teams, players, and contributors who helped pave the way for today’s game,” said Founder and Executive Director of the Black Fives Foundation Claude Johnson.
PUMA, together with the Black Fives Foundation, will help support the Foundation’s preservation and education efforts through creative activations that include an engaging, multi-use online museum to display its archive of historical artifacts and content from the Black Fives Era. The Black Fives Foundation’s Virtual Vault, presented by PUMA, will be an online portal for visitors to see, learn, and be inspired by the pre-NBA history of African Americans in basketball through nearly 1,000 artifacts in the Foundation’s historical archive. Items include vintage equipment, ticket stubs, game gear, images, scorecards and more. The Virtual Vault is set to launch later this year.
Also this month, PUMA will be giving back to the Harlem community with partner AfroBrutality, hosting conversations with current and former athletes around activism in sport through their #REFORM platform and more.
The first PUMA x Black Fives collection will include popular PUMA styles including vintage graphics and logos maintained by the Foundation’s trademarked slogan “Make History Now.” Five unique silhouettes will be featured in the collection including a hoodie, short sleeve and long sleeve tee, pants and shorts all in a black and cream color palette.
Retailing for $45 – $90 the PUMA x Black Fives Foundation clothing collection will be available on PUMA.com and at the PUMA NYC Flagship Store on Friday, February 12th. PUMA and Black Fives will also be releasing a forthcoming footwear collection this spring.
The partnership, which supports Black History education reform and the Foundation’s preservation and education efforts through creative activations, including an engaging, multi-use online museum to display its archives of historical artifacts and content from the Black Fives Era, will also include the release of footwear later this year.
For more information, please visit PUMA’s website and the partner page.
About PUMA
PUMA is one of the world’s leading Sports Brands, designing, developing, selling and marketing footwear, apparel and accessories. For more than 70 years, PUMA has relentlessly pushed sport and culture forward by creating fast products for the world’s fastest athletes. PUMA offers performance and sport-inspired lifestyle products in categories such as Football, Running and Training, Basketball, Golf, and Motorsports. It collaborates with renowned designers and brands to bring sport influences into street culture and fashion. The PUMA Group owns the brands PUMA, Cobra Golf and stichd. The company distributes its products in more than 120 countries, employs more than 16,000 people worldwide, and is headquartered in Herzogenaurach/Germany. To learn more visit their website.
About The Black Fives Foundation
The Greenwich, CT-based Black Fives Foundation is a 501(c)3 public charity whose mission is to research, preserve, showcase, teach, and honor the pre-NBA history of African Americans in basketball, a period known as the Black Fives Era that lasted from the early 1900s to 1950 when the NBA signed its first Black players. The organization advocates expanding Black history education to amplify and include this important history, utilizing nearly 1,000 related artifacts in its historical archive as well as a portfolio of related intellectual property and other difference-making initiatives. For more information, please visit their website.
