University of North Carolina Athletics
UNC Athletics Celebrates Black History Month 2024
February marks Black History Month, an important time to remember and recognize Black people who have meant so much to our history while we also continue to have conversations about our present and future.
Black History Month 2023
Black History Month 2022
Black History Month 2021
FEATURE STORIES
Read more about Tar Heels making a difference with feature stories that will be archived here throughout the month.Tar Heel Trailblazer: Sonya Bright
Tar Heel Trailblazer: Mickey Hickerson
Bright, Hickerson Left A Lasting Impression
Lucas: A Lifelong Connection
TAR HEEL TRAILBLAZERS
On GoHeels.com, you can read about the 14 African-American former student-athletes who have received Tar Heel Trailblazer awards and what they've been up to since being honored. Since its inception in 2014, the award celebrates individuals who paved the way for success in all aspects of the student-athlete experience. New Tar Heel Trailblazers are selected ever other year and were most recently honored last year.The Tar Heel Trailblazer award recipients are:
2014 - Courtney Bumpers, Robyn Hadley, Ricky Lanier and Charlie Scott
2015 - Charles Waddell, Karen Stevenson and Stuart Scott
2016 - Sharon Couch and Phil Ford
2018 - Peter Henry and Rochelle Small-Toney
2020 - Willie Cooper
2022 - Synthia Scott Kearney and Reggie McAfee
2024 - Sonya Bright and Mickey Hickerson
SOCIAL MEDIA
Be sure to check back here for updates throughout the month and follow @GoHeels on X and Instagram. This page will highlight Black History Month content from a variety of Athletics and campus social media accounts.We are proud to announce our 2024 Tar Heel Trailblazers:
— UNC Tar Heels (@GoHeels) February 1, 2024
💎 Mickey Hickerson
💎 Sonya Bright
Learn More ➡️ https://t.co/0A81DWVQ8B#GoHeels x #BHM pic.twitter.com/dS9EKVAdmf
We're proud to highlight and celebrate several of our former student-athletes as part of the 'African Americans in the Arts’ theme for Black History Month.
— UNC Tar Heels (@GoHeels) February 8, 2024
Today, we’re featuring artist, photographer, and former @UNCTrack_Field thrower: Kwabena Keene 🎨📸
More ➡️… pic.twitter.com/cD2quKhLNP
During Black History Month, we will be celebrating our staff members who play a critical role in supporting the team. First up is Nina Walker, our athletic trainer.
— Carolina Gymnastics (@uncgymnastics) February 5, 2024
📰 » https://t.co/y6zZwchqh3#GoHeels x #BHM pic.twitter.com/TGzNyBxVFg
Thoughts on Black History Month with Kaimon Rucker #BHM#CarolinaFootball 🏈#UNCommon pic.twitter.com/vr78SdG46h
— Carolina Football (@UNCFootball) February 9, 2024
The first African American to be a @UNCSoftball student-athlete, Sonya Bright is one of our two Tar Heel Trailblazers for 2024.
— UNC Tar Heels (@GoHeels) February 13, 2024
📰 » https://t.co/xEIGmuBDQr#GoHeels x #BHM pic.twitter.com/QxCfpxeueV
Throughout Black History Month, we're celebrating staff members who play a critical role in supporting the team. We're proud to recognize @cricket17, Senior Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Development.
— Carolina Gymnastics (@uncgymnastics) February 13, 2024
📰 » https://t.co/737nlwUL74 #GoHeels x #BHM pic.twitter.com/srXS7iUklf
The first African American to be a varsity student-athlete for @diamondheels, Mickey Hickerson is one of our two Tar Heel Trailblazers for 2024.
— UNC Tar Heels (@GoHeels) February 15, 2024
📰 » https://t.co/M6Q4LqiI7W#GoHeels x #BHM pic.twitter.com/VUr2Nc8kjt
"𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘦'𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳. 𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘬." – @BarackObama
— Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) February 15, 2024
Special shooting shirts for tonight's Black History Month Celebration #GoHeels | #BHM pic.twitter.com/5s4rIOUjKB
Tonight, we are dedicating each event to a member of our support staff in honor of Black History Month.
— Carolina Gymnastics (@uncgymnastics) February 16, 2024
These five individuals are important parts of our team and we wouldn’t be the same without them! #GoHeels x #BHM pic.twitter.com/q7lJu3cQjk
Please join us as we celebrate the 2024 Tar Heel Trailblazers for their outstanding contribution to Carolina's tradition of excellence and their efforts to build a legacy of diversity at @UNC.
— UNC Tar Heels (@GoHeels) February 17, 2024
Congratulations to Sonya Bright and Mickey Hickerson on becoming the newest Tar Heel… pic.twitter.com/oFH1plHvPe
Throughout Black History Month, we're recognizing some of our incredible support staff members. Today we're celebrating Martina Ballen, our Senior Associate Athletic Director, CFO and sport administrator.
— Carolina Gymnastics (@uncgymnastics) February 18, 2024
📰 » https://t.co/Dfyc94rmHc #GoHeels x #BHM pic.twitter.com/Abv5x8rVrF
In honor of Black History Month, we're proud to celebrate several of our incredible support staff members. Today we recognize @_SimplyDa, Assistant Director of Academic Support Program.
— Carolina Gymnastics (@uncgymnastics) February 21, 2024
📰 » https://t.co/z3JyGUPe99#GoHeels x #BHM pic.twitter.com/PUbrKNphuK
An absolute privilege to have these two back on campus as our 2024 Tar Heel Trailblazer honorees.
— UNC Tar Heels (@GoHeels) February 22, 2024
Thank you, Sonya. Thank you, Mickey.
More ➡️ https://t.co/GWSPzS7Ex9#GoHeels x #BHM pic.twitter.com/E4x6ovoivv
In honor of Black History Month, we're celebrating our staff members who play a critical role in supporting the team. Today we recognize Rhyan Creighton, our graduate assistant athletic trainer.
— Carolina Gymnastics (@uncgymnastics) February 26, 2024
📰 » https://t.co/0ErkBqIuZU#GoHeels x #BHM pic.twitter.com/ZR6SaVrnni
Our friends from Hargraves Community Center joined our players and staff for the National Anthem in celebration of Black History Month 🩵#CarolinaFamily x #BHM pic.twitter.com/YHYjVW4Bf8
— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) February 27, 2024
We’re proud to highlight and celebrate several of our current or former student-athletes as part of the ‘African Americans in the Arts’ theme for Black History Month.
— UNC Tar Heels (@GoHeels) February 29, 2024
Today, we’re featuring singer and current @UNCFootball student-athlete: Kaimon Rucker 🎤🏈
Kaimon Rucker has… pic.twitter.com/CHI9nNe2WY
On Campus:
There have been several pioneers who have broken down barriers for the generations of students to follow throughout #UNC's history. As Carolina celebrates Black History Month, discover some of the Tar Heels who paved the way for a more inclusive university https://t.co/gpSYqQNBfb
— UNC-Chapel Hill (@UNC) February 5, 2024
In 1951, Harvey Beech, James Lassiter, J. Kenneth Lee, Floyd McKissick and James Robert Walker enrolled in @UNC_Law and became the first Black students at Carolina.
— UNC-Chapel Hill (@UNC) February 8, 2024
After they enrolled, other #UNC graduate and professional schools followed suit and began to admit Black students pic.twitter.com/RzB5FCjV0W
#UNC professor Trevy McDonald was sold on the power of the Black press at a young age. Learn how her @UNCHussman course examines both historic events and time periods and the role Black journalists played in covering – and shaping – them https://t.co/fRSIQIqpT0
— UNC-Chapel Hill (@UNC) February 7, 2024
The "SERVICE" mural located in @UNCSOG depicts notable figures and events from Black history in North Carolina. Learn how the mural, created by Colin Quashie, reminds viewers that there is much more that our state's history has to showcase to its residents https://t.co/HHs2w0TAfm
— UNC-Chapel Hill (@UNC) February 7, 2024
ONLINE RESOURCES
On Campus:UNC-Chapel Hill will celebrate Black History Month throughout February with lectures, performances and exhibitions. More information is available here.
The second Dr. Genna Rae McNeil Endowed Black History Month lecture highlights this year’s events. Keisha N. Blain, a New York Times best-selling author, award-winning historian and professor, will deliver the lecture at 7 p.m. Feb. 22 at the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History.
Blain is the author of “Four Hundred Souls,” “Until I Am Free” and “Set the World on Fire.” She is also a columnist for MSNBC and received the 2022 Guggenheim and Andrew Carnegie fellowships.
Black History Month at Carolina also features these events:
- The Carolina Black Caucus, a group for Black faculty and staff at Carolina, will take its annual “We Are Carolina’s Black History” community photo at noon Feb. 1 on the steps of South Building.
- The 2024 Black History Month Art Gallery at the Frank Porter Graham Student Union will open Feb. 2 with a 5:15-6:30 p.m. event.
- University Libraries will present “On the Books: Jim Crow and Algorithms of Resistance” on Zoom, noon-1 p.m. Feb. 7. The project used text analysis and expert assessments of the North Carolina General Statutes from 1966 to 1967 to identify Jim Crow laws.
- The Carolina Black Caucus and Carolina women’s basketball will host the 2024 Black History Month Tribute game at Carmichael Arena at 6 p.m. Feb. 15. The Tar Heels will meet the Pitt Panthers in a game to honor the Black trailblazers at the University, including Robyn Hadley, Lachonya Thompson and Danita Mason-Hogans.
- UNC-Chapel Hill Digital and Lifelong Learning will host “The Ongoing Fight for Freedom: Stories of NC’s Black Veterans,” a one-man live performance by Sonny Kelly, 3-5 p.m. Feb. 25 at the Friday Center. The performance elevates Black freedom fighters and veterans with North Carolina connections.
- The Black Student Movement will host various events throughout the month, starting with Game Night at 6 p.m. Feb. 1 at the Upendo Lounge in the Student and Academic Services Building North.
- The School of Social Work’s third installment of the Black History Month Research Series features David Williams’ “The Virus of Racism: Understanding Its Threats and Mobilizing Defenses” noon-1:30 p.m. Feb. 8. The four discussions of the series will be held virtually Feb. 8-29.
