June 26th 2023.
The University of the District of Columbia is now home to a monument honouring an alumnus many consider to be the person responsible for introducing basketball to African Americans. Dr. Edwin Bancroft Henderson, known as the 'Godfather of Basketball', attended UDC and pioneered physical education programs in Washington’s segregated public schools throughout the 1900s.
The Van Ness campus of the university now houses the Dr. E.B. Henderson Sports Complex, with the statue of Henderson directly outside the building. The unveiling of the monument on June 24, 2023 was an emotional occasion. EB Henderson II spoke about his grandfather’s legacy and the role he played in cementing basketball as a community staple. The younger Henderson said that his grandfather learned basketball not just for himself, but to spread it to the generations to come.
Amadou Gallo Fall, President of the Basketball Africa League, also attended the unveiling and expressed his gratitude for Henderson’s teachings. Fall said that sport can be used as a conduit to empower and inspire youth, and to change the narrative.
Henderson’s work as an educator included developing young people such as Duke Ellington and Dr. Charles R. Drew while working in the capital’s school system. The moment was marked by a $200,000 donation to the memorial fund in Henderson’s name. This donation demonstrated the appreciation felt by the community for the legacy of Dr. Edwin Bancroft Henderson.
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