Toronto Raptor Eric Williams is pitching a new line of merchandise from his company, Eric Williams Apparel. The first product line is a series of urbanwear dedicated to "Black League Basketball" that existed from 1920-1940. The problem? Most historians agree the league never existed.
It's not that bad to make a product and give it a "history". But you can not claim it to be true when it isn't. That's just plain dumb.
Edit: A better article about it is here.
From the above article:
"These logos had to come from somewhere," Williams says. "Whether there was a league or not those logos ... that's still nice to represent the 'hood or whatever it was. Those were all the inner cities. (Whether it was) an interim league or a professional league, those leagues and those logos, to me they sound like they exist. The story sounds good to me so I'm rolling with it."
Truth? bah! It sounds good, so it must be true...
1 comment:
Thank you for covering this "hoax" story in your blog.
For factual details about early African American
participation in basketball, please see these
websites:
http://www.blackfives.com
http://www.hoophall.com/education/education_freedom.htm
http://hometown.aol.com/bradleyrd/apbr.html
PS - Last week we invited Mr. Williams (through Jim
Byers of the Toronto Star, who broke the original
"hoax" story) to come visit with us the next time he
is in the New York/New Jersey area so that we can
introduce him to Mr. John Isaacs (1939 New York Rens)
and other (very real) black basketball old timers and
their descendents in order to perhaps help him gain an
appreciation for their (very real) struggle just to be
recognized and remembered. We think we can help him
save face if he is willing. No word yet from Mr.
Williams.
Thank you,
Claude Johnson
Black Fives, Inc.
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