The early years of professional basketball were marked by regional leagues and segregated teams, with white and Black teams occasionally competing in exhibitions. While white businessmen routinely profited from Black talent, Black entrepreneurs sought to support their communities in sports. In 1908 the Spartan Field Club was founded to promote sports among Black New Yorkers, including cricket and basketball.

In 1923 a Black-owned Harlem team that came out of this racial pride/uplift movement in New York athletics was rebranded/named the Harlem Renaissance and was confident enough to sign players to full-season contracts. The "Rens" became World Colored Basketball Champions in 1925, challenging white teams and beating the Original Celtics. Around the same time, the Harlem Globetrotters, (with a white owner based in Illinois), also emerged.

During the 1932-33 season, the Rens dominated, winning 120 out of their 128 games. In 1936, the Rens played a series against the Oshkosh All-Stars, contributing to the formation of the National Basketball League (NBL), which integrated five years before Major League Baseball. The NBL created the World Professional Basketball Tournament, won mostly by NBL teams but three times by all-Black teams, with the Rens being the sole Black-owned team.

The Rens' dominance waned in the 1940s when the Washington Bears attracted many of the Ren’s players with better pay. After the war, the Rens moved to Dayton, Ohio, joining the NBL, and later, some NBL teams became part of the NBA, which integrated in 1950.

The integration of professional sports led to the decline of all-Black teams, as top talent joined white-owned teams, resulting in the loss of unique community and fan experiences.

In 1963, the 1932-33 Rens squad was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, and individual players followed.

Today, there are no Black majority owners in the major North American professional leagues, though some Black Americans have minority ownership stakes. This lack of representation is particularly glaring given that in the NBA over 70% of players are Black.

The Trash Academy

Applications are open for the Sanitation Foundation's 2024 NYC Trash
Academy, designed for busy New Yorkers who want to learn how to create a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable city.

The 4th annual NYC Trash Academy, (formerly known as Zero Waste Academy), is a free 10-session educational series developed and taught by experts from the NYC Department of Sanitation and the private sector, and covers the environmental, social, and economic impact around waste management. Upon completion of the program, participants will be well equipped with the knowledge and resources to create change in their lives and communities. Join us to get a better understanding of the active role you can play both personally and professionally.

Apply to the Academy!

Applications close February 2, 2024

The curriculum will explore topics such as:

• the past, current and future landscape of waste in NYC

• the origins of American “throwaway culture” and an introduction to circular economies

• the role that waste plays in the health of our water system

• new initiatives to keep waste off our sidewalks

• and a focused look at food waste, the most significant diversion opportunity in our waste stream

Preview the Full Curriculum

Running from February 8 through March  21, the 2024 NYC Trash Academy will consist of 8 virtual lecture modules which can be watched independently or as a group at scheduled watch parties. In addition to the core educational sessions, the Academy also includes 2 virtual field trips to Cooper Recycling and Balcones Recycling, allowing participants a view of sophisticated material recovery facilities at work.

This year, we have added three hybrid study hall sessions where participants can come together (virtually and in person) to discuss the modules and network with their cohort. The Academy will kick off with an optional in-person meet and greet on February 8 and culminate with an in-person graduation and networking event on March 21, to further build community and momentum towards personal and collective action.

Participation is free, but space is limited, so those interested are encouraged to apply early. Applications are open from December 19 through February 2. For more information and to apply, visit sanitationfoundation.org/nyc-trash-academy.

Apply Now!