FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 16, 2014

NATIONAL RETIRED PLAYERS ASSOCIATION TEAMS UP WITH ‘STAND™ FOR CHILDREN’ AND CITY COUNCILMEMBER LATOYA CANTRELL TO PROVIDE CIVIL RIGHTS HISTORY TOUR TO NEW ORLEANS YOUTH

CHICAGO – The National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA), the only alumni association comprised of former NBA, ABA, and WNBA players, will be partnering with the New Orleans branch of Stand for Children Louisiana to take at-risk New Orleans youth on an educational Civil Rights History tour of Birmingham, Alabama on June 25, 2014. Up to 200 participating youngsters and chaperones, ages 11-16, will be visiting the world-acclaimed Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, the Historic 16th Street Baptist Church, Rickwood Field (the oldest American baseball stadium that was home to the Black Barons of the Negro Leagues) and the University of Alabama. For registration information, please visit the Stand™ for Children Louisiana web site at https://stand.org/louisiana/blog/2014/05/14/day-civil-rights-trip

This very special journey through Civil Rights History will be led by NBRPA President & CEO Arnie D. Fielkow and attended by Rev. Samson "Skip" Alexander, who was on the frontline of the civil rights movement and marched alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; Dr. Dorothy Smith, Dillard University Dean of General Studies; Keith Plessy, a descendent of Homer Plessy from the landmark Plessy V. Ferguson Supreme Court case; Paul Beaulieu of WBOK-AM radio in New Orleans; and NBRPA Members Marvin Roberts, Assistant Vice-President for Student Engagement & Diversity at Utah State University; and New Orleans native and former NBA great Eldridge Recasner. The NBRPA would also like to thank Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman, the New Orleans City Council and New Orleans community leaders Damon Burns, Tracie and Babs Johnson for their role in making this exciting youth initiative possible.

“This is a very exciting opportunity for the NBRPA to join forces with Stand™ for Children to give New Orleans youth the opportunity to travel and learn about several landmark moments and places in the Civil Rights movement,” said Fielkow, formerly President of the New Orleans City Council and New Orleans Saints Executive Vice President. “Thanks to all of our partners and panel of experts for helping make this very special trip – our fifth – come to fruition. The youth of New Orleans are in for a very fun, educational and life-changing experience.”

The day-long event will be packed with educational activities intertwined with sports as part of an opportunity to let New Orleans youth experience travel with an all-expense paid trip. New Orleans City Councilmember LaToya Cantrell has been assisting with recruiting participants for the trip and ensuring that any New Orleans youth between the ages of 11-16 that are interested has an opportunity to attend.

“The City of New Orleans is at the heart of the Civil Rights Movement,” said Councilmember Cantrell. “The youth of our city will be provided a great opportunity to make a stronger connection to the movement as they learn and explore their legacy as they travel to Birmingham, Alabama.”

The first stop on the trip will be attending the annual Rickwood Classic, a tribute to old fashioned baseball. This year, the Birmingham Barons will be matching up against the Mississippi Braves with both teams honoring their legacies wearing their throw-back uniforms. Following the baseball game, the youth will visit the 16th Baptist Church, the site where four little girls lost their life in a tragic bombing in 1963 amidst racial tensions. Further adding to the Civil Rights History lesson, the youth will visit the nearby Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. The final stop of the day will be at the University of Alabama’s football complex where dinner and a speaking program will be provided.

“At Stand™ for Children, making sure every child has access to a quality education that prepares them for college and life is our top priority,” said Dana Henry, New Orleans Director, Stand™ for Children. “The Civil Rights Trip will be an excellent hands-on, historical lesson for our students to experience and one that should help them not only develop a deep understanding and appreciation of the past, but also recognize the tremendous progress and opportunities they now have as a result. Getting a quality education will be the key that unlocks all of those opportunities for our New Orleans youth.”

Registration is required and interested participants may download documents at https://stand.org/louisiana/blog/2014/05/14/day- civil-rights-trip or pick them up in person at Propeller Incubator: 4035 Washington Avenue, Suite 123, New Orleans, LA from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday-Thursday, or at the office of Councilmember Cantrell: District B, New Orleans City Council, City Hall, Room 2W10, 1300 Perdido Street, New Orleans, LA 70112. Registration ends June 18, 2014 and space is extremely limited.

About the National Basketball Retired Players Association The National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA) is comprised of former professional basketball players from the NBA, ABA, Harlem Globetrotters and WNBA. It is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization with a two-pronged mission to former NBA, ABA, Harlem Globetrotters and WNBA players in their transition from the playing court into life after the game, while also positively impacting communities and youth through basketball. The NBRPA was founded in 1992 by basketball legends Dave DeBusschere, , Archie Clark, and . The NBRPA works in direct partnerships with the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association. Arnie D. Fielkow is the President & CEO, and the NBRPA Board of Directors includes Chairman of the Board Otis Birdsong, Vice Chairman , Treasurer Marvin Roberts, Secretary Steve Hayes, Past Chairman Robert A. (Bob) Elliott, Past Chairman George Tinsley, , Dwight Davis, , Johnny Newman and Eldridge Recasner.

About Stand™ for Children Stand™ for Children works across the country – from the classroom to the Capitol – to mobilize Americans around a common goal of improving the odds for American children. Their mission is to ensure that all children, regardless of their background, graduate from high school prepared for, and with access to, a college education. For more information contact their national offices at 781-891-1300 or visit http://www.stand.org.

Contact Paul Corliss Vice President of Communications & Marketing National Basketball Retired Players Association 917-621-5744 | [email protected]