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The sound of squeaks and shuffling sneakers echoed on the Flanagan Gym floor as students hustled in warmups before playing in a series of half-court basketball scrimmages. Fueled by upbeat hip-hop music, players practiced shots, footwork and spacing. Record-keepers prepared to keep score of each team’s points, while organizers provided guidance and sideline refreshments to players.

“For me personally, just being a basketball player is fun. Just being able to come out here and see friends and play basketball and build some camaraderie,” said Syracuse University sophomore Ibrahim Toure.

On Tuesday evening, the SU Black History Month Committee and the Barnes Center at the Arch partnered to host the 2024 Black History Month Basketball Classic as part of BHM Wellness Week. The event aimed to encourage the SU community to consider the ways Black culture culturally, politically and socially “continues to challenge the way society views athletes, and the value of their opinions and the consistency of their actions,” according to the event’s website.

The classic aligned with the 2024 Black History Month celebration theme “Existing Outside the Lines: The Colors of Resistance.” The theme examines the diversity of the Black community and acknowledges the “spectrum of color that Blackness holds,” according to a university release. Through February and early-March, events such as the Commemorative Event: Night at the Museum and Black History Month Career Mixer were also hosted by the Black History Month Committee with support from other campus coordination.

In Flanagan Gym, students battled in a series of 3-on-3 scrimmages and donned black event shirts that read “Black History Month Basketball Classic.” The event brought together lots of players, organizers and student observers, fostering competition between friends.

Joe Zhao | Assistant Photo Editor

Participants play in a 3v3 match, with each one lasting 15 minutes. Event organizers provided t-shirts printed with “Black History Month Basketball Classic” for participating students.

During the past two years, the event used to be between students and faculty, hosted by the Black History Month Committee and Barnes Center at The Arch, SU senior Ibraheem Ayinde said.

However, for this year’s classic, the Men of Color Initiative (MCI) brought a twist to the event, shifting to student-only teams and continuing to work with the prior organizers. Ayinde is an MCI intern and leader and continues a legacy of supporting a resource for men of color and their experiences in college.

“This is an event to not only bring people together but also to foster new relationships,” Ayinde said.

MCI began in 2020 by a group of four SU students who sought to uplift the voices, experiences and presence of men of color on campus. Over the past four years, the organization has expanded through campus activities, service-learning opportunities and mentorship programs, according to a university release. This Friday, MCI will induct new members, primarily freshmen and sophomores.

Ayinde said every fall semester, MCI hosts an annual 3-on-3 basketball tournament, so the BHM Basketball Classic was timed perfectly.

“It’s events like these that are meant to culminate that bond that everybody can have,” Ayinde said. “It’s really just like we’re all out here having fun.”

Ayinde traveled from court to court holding a microphone, commentating on real-time plays. Off-court players imitated the best moves and cheered on their friends on the sidelines.

“To play in this tournament, it’s good to see men of color have an event like this,” said SU freshman Izzy Sy. “People came out, played, it’s a fun time. It’s cool to see the Black community at SU come together to put on something good.”

Published on February 21, 2024 at 12:31 am