The City of College Park has honored the first Black basketball high school championship team in Georgia, the 1969 Eva L. Thomas Bearcats Championship Basketball Team.
According to WSB-TV, the ceremony took place on April 11, nearly 60 years after the team won the championship. City officials and county leaders joined members of the team. Fulton County Chairman Rob Pitts, NBA Champion Josh Powell, and City Manager Michael Hicks, along with their family and friends, witnessed the ceremony.
“For 57 years, these distinguished athletes were denied the recognition they so rightfully deserved due to the injustices of the era,” the city said in a written statement.
According to Atlanta News First, one of the team’s players, Michael Majeed, attended the special event and spoke to the outlet.
“Eva Thomas was a home for us, a home away from home,” Majeed said. “We were the first Black high school to play in that coliseum, and when we got there, we were met with a lot of hostility.”
He told the media outlet that they weren’t properly recognized when they initially won the title.
“The superintendent of the schools came to our school and handed us a small piece of paper saying they appreciated what we had done. He stayed there five minutes.”
As Majeed looked at old pictures of the team, he reminisced about the team’s achievements.
“That was one of the greatest accomplishments that I and my teammates have ever done,” he said.
This is the second time that the former Bearcats have been recognized for their achievement.
The team was also recognized six years ago during the city’s second annual Black History Month Celebration titled “Stand Up and Stand Out,” according to 11 Alive. At the event, the team members received a special proclamation from the city. The ceremony took place Feb. 8, 2020. The entire Bearcats’ championship roster was there to accept their awards and received a standing ovation from the attendees.
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