TOWSON, Md. – The Towson University Department of Athletics will honor its history and recognize its Black Hall of Fame members when it hosts its first Black Student-Athlete Celebration during home basketball games on the weekend of February 18-19, 2017.
The TU men's basketball team hosts James Madison on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. and the women's basketball team hosts Northeastern on Sunday, Feb. 19 at 2 p.m.
"I am truly excited to be part of such a wonderful opportunity to honor the accomplishments and celebrate the impact that these Black alumni have had on the court, in the classroom and in the community," TU women's head basketball coach Niki Reid-Geckeler said. "These honorees truly epitomize the TU mission of developing leaders for tomorrow and they have left their footprints in the Towson community."
TU's Black Hall of Fame members represent five sports: basketball, soccer, lacrosse, gymnastics and football. Lacrosse standout Wendell Thomas is Towson's first Black alumnus to be inducted into the Towson Athletics Hall of Fame.
In addition, the Towson University Department of Athletics is partnering with several Towson University organizations, including the Center for Student Diversity, Black Student Union, Greek Life, Black Faculty & Staff Association, TU Black Alumni Alliance, TU Alumni Association and Tiger Athletic Fund.
The TU Department of Athletics strategic theme of becoming a national model for gender equity, diversity and inclusivity is at the heart of the two-day event. The TU Department of Athletics values and embraces diversity by cultivating and fostering a climate that is based on the principles of respect and inclusion, enriches the educational experience of its students, and supports a safe, positive and inclusive workplace that promotes excellence and accountability at all levels.
A portion of proceeds from ticket sales purchased with the promotional code "TBAA" will benefit the Barnes-Harris Endowment.
ABOUT THE BARNES-HARRIS ENDOWMENT: The goal of the Barnes-Harris Endowment is to support incoming freshmen from metropolitan public high schools, who are enrolled full-time (12 or more credits each term), and who demonstrate financial need. The Barnes-Harris Scholarship was established in the names of Mavis Evon Barnes '59 and Myra Ann Harris '59, Towson University's first African-American graduates. Both Ms. Barnes and Ms. Harris wanted the scholarship, set at $500 per academic year, to be awarded to a freshman who possessed "a strong allegiance to the African-American culture."
