Top 100 Basketball Series

Athletic competition has always been a regular fixture of Black cultural life just like neighborhood barbecues, sweet potato pie, block parties and playing pickup games at night under the stars.

Parents, community members and local businesses have always supported and nurtured community sports programs. It has always been a source of pride to watch some of these young men and women become local legends, successful college stars and occasionally, rise to

the level as professional athletes. Part of the Boston Music Film Sports and Law

Foundation’s (BMSFL) mission will be to celebrate the participation of our Black youth in community sports, to enthusiastically cheer them on and to build greater capacity for such

programming throughout the year.

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Toward that end, the BMSFL will host an annual three-day basketball Combine called the Top 100 Showcase at one of our local colleges. The three-day event will highlight the best high school basketball talent in New England for both men and women. The Combine will be an

invitation only event for basketball players at the high school grade level from the New England states (Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut). As an elite, invitation-only tournament, players will be able to demonstrate both their athletic and

academic skills. The event will be modeled on the professional football combine with a focus on skills assessment, full court play and a concluding reception for invited coaches, players and their parents. The BMSFL Combine will provide a unique opportunity for colleges across the country to interact with some of the most talented and gifted athletes in New England.

In order to encourage greater participation in the electoral process by Boston’s Black voters, we intend to develop a nurturing environment in our city for people from all racial and cultural backgrounds that share common goals in their lives. The Top 100 Showcase Combine is one program intended to do just that. Having individuals come together through sports creates

opportunities for discussions on other issues and topics that are common denominators for creating a better quality of life for everyone. There will be speakers, literature, and prize give-

aways with the goal of getting Black individuals to feel connected to and participate in elections. We must find common ground for mutual support to ensure that our democracy benefits

everyone including Black people. Ultimately, events like the Combine will cultivate opportunities for volunteer participation, a growing awareness of and pride in the strength and vitality within

the Black community and a sense of true ownership in what happens in Black community life by participating in municipal elections and then reaching out to neighbors and friends to do the

same. This is the power of community, one citizen at a time.