Carlisle Indian School squad 1918, courtesy www.blackfivesblog.com
In 1912, the Carlisle School in Pennsylvania had worldwide rep as student Jim Thorpe grabbed a couple of Olympic Gold Medals and their football squad won a national chip. They also were ballin’ on campus, as well as others such as Hampton Institute (now Hampton University) in Virginia. Claude […]

Saw these up on Claude Johnson’s www.blackfivesblog.com and caught a flashback! He has a cool memoir about chilling with Hakeem “the Dream,” too, check it out!
Jonathan DeJesus

The Legend: Chuck TaylorImage thanks to Charlie’s Sneaker Pages
2008 marks the 100-year anniversary for Converse. Over the next few weeks, I hope to explore how the timeless brand has dominated, explored, and innovated within the athletic footwear industry since it jumped off in 1908.
When Marquis M. Converse opened the Converse Rubber Shoe Company, his factory […]

I was peeping www.blackflivesblog.com and learned that not only is it Jackie Robinson’s born day today, but that the man who broke the Major League Baseball color barrier 60 years ago and became an All-Star Brooklyn Dodger was also mad nice with the pill. Word! He was even courted by the Harlem Globetrotters at one […]

You gotta peep Claude Johnson of www.blackfivesblog.com hilarious analysis of the candidates’ collective basketball experience: http://blackfivesblog.com/?p=302

Converse “Black Fives” Pro Leather
A couple of months ago, Converse had this ill press event at an old art studio in the Village. There were three floors of history celebrating the brand’s 100th anniversary of making shoes. I told them, “You gotta make this a permanent exhibition!” I knew heads, even ones not into sneakers, […]

(L-R) Black Fives founder Claude Johnson (http:///www.blackfivesblog.com), Julius “Dr. J” Erving, y yo.
There aren’t many times in life when we are blessed to exchange positive energy for more than a moment with our childhood influences, however last week I was able to . . . twice. As you well know from an earlier post, […]