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.
For more information, please visit PUMA.com and partners.blackfives.org/hello-puma.
