The Wisconsin Herd, the NBA G League affiliate of the Milwaukee Bucks, is partnering with TDS Telecom to host a Black History Month Night on Tuesday, February 7 at 6:00 p.m. CST at Oshkosh Arena. The Herd is celebrating Black History Month with specialty jerseys presented by TDS Telecom that showcase 13 influential Black leaders that have made huge impacts in U.S. History. Artist Patrick “Patcasso” Hunter painted each leader’s portrait that will be sublimated onto the jersey shell.
During the game on February 7, the Herd will play in one-of-a-kind Black History Month jerseys with portraits of influential Black leaders featured on the jersey shell and their major accomplishments highlighted on their respective shorts. Artist Patrick “Patcasso” Hunter painted the portraits with the theme of “Be the Light” to represent the power of living a life of purpose, inspiration and bringing attention to situations that need to change. The jerseys also feature a traditional African Kente cloth design turned into a circuit board throughout the piping, numbers and lettering to showcase the intersection of Art within Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM). The connection to promoting STEAM comes from the artist Patcasso who is an engineer by day and a STEAM ambassador for STEAM Revolt!, which is a 501c3 established to drive self-actualization in underrepresented communities with a focus on changing perceptions of STEAM careers using a mix of Tech, Arts and Pop culture.
Each player will play in a jersey that represents a different legend. The 13 living and past legends include: Bessie Coleman, Frederick Douglass, Paul “Showtime” Gaffney and Herbert “Flight Time” Lang, Vice President Kamala Harris, Reverend Jesse Jackson, Earl Lloyd, Kenny “The Jet” Smith, Dr. Tommie Smith, Harriet Tubman, Reggie Van Lee, Madam C.J. Walker and Booker T. Washington. Read more about these legends’ accomplishments here. These jerseys can be bid on at https://herdup.givesmart.com/ from now until February 14 at noon. Proceeds will benefit the Harold Lefty Williams DARE2DREAM Foundation which works to improve the quality of life for youth and young adults in order to strengthen our communities both domestically and globally.
At the game, artist Patcasso and DJ Steady Rock will perform at halftime. Artist Patcasso will honor a living legend by taking a blank canvas and turning it into a work of art in minutes to a custom music track by DJ Steady Rock. All of the living legends in attendance will be recognized for their accomplishments and the impact they have made at the completion of the halftime performance. To honor them, they will each receive a custom jersey with their name, number and portrait on the jersey. Living legends and special VIP Guests planning to attend the game include Paul “Showtime” Gaffney, Herbert “Flight Time” Lang, Dr. Tommie Smith, Reggie Van Lee, Kevin Lloyd (Earl Llyod’s son), Harold Lefty Williams and his son Elisha “EJ” Williams, and NBA G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim.
Also at the game, fans will be able to enjoy the pop-up museum “A Stone of Hope: Black Experiences in the Fox Cities” from the History Museum at the Castle. This exhibit shares the local Black history from the 1700s to the present.
ABOUT TDS TELECOM
TDS Telecommunications LLC (TDS Telecom/TDS®) delivers high-speed internet, TV entertainment, and phone services to rural and suburban communities across the U.S. With 1.2 million connections, TDS is a rapidly growing technology company. Powered by fiber-optics and new industry-leading technologies, TDS delivers up to 8 Gigabit internet speeds and offers internet-protocol based TV entertainment solutions along with traditional phone services. TDS also offers businesses VoIP advanced communications solutions, dedicated internet service, data networking, and hosted-managed services. Visit tdstelecom.com.
ABOUT HAROLD LEFTY WILLIAMS DARE2DREAM FOUNDATION
The Harold Lefty Williams DARE2DREAM Foundation’s mission is to improve the quality of life for youth and young adults in order to strengthen our communities both domestically and globally. Through the development of sports, educational and character development programs, the Harold Lefty Williams DARE2DREAM Foundation seeks to help in creating a stronger body of youth who will carry on as our future leaders. Visit https://dare2dream.xyz/.
ABOUT PATCASSO
By day, Patrick Hunter is a Technology Consultant in the Tech Industry based in Dallas / Fort Worth. By night, Patrick assumes the identity of Patcasso, a nationally recognized live performance painter. Patcasso, a STEAM Ambassador (Science Technology Engineering Art & Science) that travels the world unveiling a world of intrigue, emerging technologies, and careers that connect all disciplines of the Arts with Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Co-Founding STEAM Revolt, a non-profit that creates curriculum intended to “add swag to STEM” using pop culture and art.
He choreographs paint strokes to music creating dynamic visual performances that captivate his audiences. Many have seen him perform live turning a blank canvas into icons such as MLK, Hank Aaron, Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson, Snoop Dogg and Ray Charles in minutes to a diverse genre of music for the Atlanta Braves, Sundance Film Festival and the Steve Harvey talk show.
A native of Detroit, Patrick holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Michigan.
