Black History Month comes to a close Feb. 29, so there is still time to spotlight the great achievements and moments that are key to the South Florida black community. The excitement leading up to the Orange Blossom Classic taking place Sept. 6 at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens is building up. The big day will feature a Gridiron Showdown between Florida A&M University & Albany State University. The historic football classic was re-established by the City of Miami Gardens after a 41-year hiatus.
The Orange Blossom Classic promises to engage alumni, students, families, and fans while empowering the youth through official events and community initiatives designed to enhance the exposure of Historically Black Colleges & Universities within the enriched community of Miami Gardens. “The homecoming of the Orange Blossom Classic aligns with the transformation of Miami Gardens into so much more than a city. We are a community. It’s not just football. It’s the revival of an untamed legacy,” said Mayor Oliver Gilbert of Miami Gardens.
Here are a few facts about the Orange Blossom Classic:- The Orange Blossom Classic was founded by J.R.E. Lee Jr., a business administrator and the son of Florida A&M University’s (FAMU) president in 1933.
- The classic was started as FAMU’s postseason invitational game in 1933 before becoming an annual event in Miami in 1947. The inaugural Orange Blossom Classic was played in front of 2,000 fans at a “blacks-only” ballpark in Jacksonville, Fla., in which FAMU beat Howard 9-0.
- For 46 years, from 1933 -1978, the Orange Blossom Classic was the must-see game of the postseason that helped establish the foundation of HBCU football classics.
- The Orange Blossom Classic was unofficially referred to as the “Black National Championship” game during its reign.
- For 30 years, the Orange Blossom Classic football game in Miami was the most important annual sporting event and the largest annual gathering of any kind for African Americans.
- The first time black fans were allowed to sit in the main stands at the Orange Bowl Stadium was during the Orange Blossom Classic in 1947?
- Black athletes stayed at the Sir John Hotel in Overtown, where black people were allowed accommodations during segregation.
- The Orange Blossom Classic held a record attendance number of over 47,000 spectators in 1961 at the Orange Bowl Stadium.
- In the 1960s, when African Americans started signing professional football contracts, the Orange Blossom Classic often attracted pro scouts who often signed professional football contracts after watching athletes play.
The Orange Blossom Classic promises to unite alumni, students, fans, and those with an affinity to the HBCU experience in a fun, memorable, family-reunion filled atmosphere — and to raise scholarship funds for participating schools. For information, visit www.orangeblossomclassic.com. Tickets go on sale on March 2.
