UofL basketball uniforms to honor Black History Month

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — In celebration of Black History Month, the University of Louisville Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams will each wear special Adidas uniforms this week honoring Black heritage and achievements.

Louisville Athletics unveiled the uniform designs Monday morning. While the design of the uniform for each team is slightly different, both feature a theme with cream colors and golden flowers.

The golden flowers featured on the uniforms reflect flowers regional to Louisville, such as the state flower, the goldenrod.

The cream color is an homage to “cream of the planet,” a cultural term referring to Africa’s abundance of natural resources, officials explained in a news release. The “cream” refers to Africa’s abundance of natural resources, including diamonds, gold, platinum, oil, ivory, natural gas, uranium, copper, cobalt, bauxite and cocoa beans. Africa is the wealthiest continent when it comes to Earth’s natural resources.

The term rose to prominence when Marcus Garvey, a Jamaican-born Black nationalist and leader of the Pan-Africanism movement, worked to counter America’s image of Africa and Africans as being “uncivilized.” Garvey sought to unify and connect people of African descent worldwide.

"Just as Marcus Garvey sought to tear down barriers, these uniforms are about continuing to tear down obstacles to build something beautiful in our communities, our nation and our world," media representative Zach Greenwell said in a news release. "The uniforms are about respect and acknowledgment to the Black leaders and influencers of the past, while celebrating the history makers of today and tomorrow and 'giving them their flowers while they’re still here.'"

Louisville Men’s Basketball will wear the uniforms this Wednesday against nationally-ranked Virginia, while Women’s Basketball will wear theirs Thursday, Feb. 23 against Miami.

Cardinals-themed apparel in honor of Black History Month, including this year’s Black heritage jersey and long-sleeve T-shirt, is available online.