As a beacon for cultural diversity and inclusion, the Mavericks take Black History Month very seriously, and particularly the 20th annual African American Heritage Night that will take place Friday when the Milwaukee Bucks visit American Airlines Center.
A full lineup of activities will take place, including a postgame party presented by McDonald’s Black Owners of North Texas in the Lexus Club.
The occasion has special meaning for Mavericks’ CEO Cynt Marshall, who has been a leader in advancing executive-level opportunities for women and blacks since her time with AT&T and since joining the Mavericks.
“In the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s last sermon, he said, ‘Nothing would be more tragic than to stop at this point in Memphis. We’ve got to see it through.’ I thought of this on Monday when I was with over 300 terrific student leaders from Highland Park High School and 29 other DFW high schools,” Marshall said. “They conducted their fourth all-day forum on the ‘Race to End Racism.’ I’m so inspired by our youth and my children.
“While significant progress has been made in my lifetime relative to civil rights, equity and equality, they are focused on the current state of things. We’ve got to see it through.”
At the game (7:30 p.m. tipoff), there will be a pregame mixer with DJ Steve Nice in the Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Club inside AAC. At halftime, Southern University’s world-famous “Human Jukebox” marching band will perform, with the postgame party starting immediately after the final buzzer.
More information is available at Mavs.com/AAHN. A portion of proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to the National Panhellenic Council of Dallas and the United Negro College Fund.
In addition, the Dallas Mavericks and BNSF Railway, in association with American Airlines, are conducting their 11th annual Black History Month Challenge which offers DFW Metroplex students the chance to win the field trip of a lifetime.
To commemorate February as Black History Month, students are asked to submit an essay around the topic “Advancing ‘The Dream’: How We Can Take Collective Actions to Create Meaningful Change in Our Communities” for a chance to win a trip to Atlanta, GA to visit the birth place of Dr. King, the King Center, and other historic civil rights and black history sites.
The contest is open to 8th through 12th grade students within a 75 mile radius of the American Airlines Center. Five (5) winners, along with one (1) parent/legal guardian for each winner, and adult chaperones from the Dallas Mavericks will fly to Atlanta, GA on Friday, March 22, 2018 for an exciting three (3) day/two (2) night educational experience in black history.
Visit mavs.com for official entry details.
Twitter: @Esefko
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