Newswise — During its Feb. 10 home game, the Atlanta Hawks will honor the Spelman College Spelbots. The Spelbots are being recognized as part of the Hawks’ celebration of Black History Month, during which they are recognizing prominent African American leaders for their civic contributions, accomplishments and leadership. Throughout the month of February, the team will recognize individuals from the Atlanta area who have excelled in these areas during special in-game ceremonies.
Under the leadership of Andrew Williams, Ph.D., associate professor of computer and information science and adviser to the SpelBots, the robotics team was the first all-women, African-American team to take part in the international RoboCup competition in 2005, where they tied in the championship match.
In 2009, the team tied again in the Robocup Japan Open. In addition, the Spelbots recently visited Washington DC to attend an Education Technology Showcase to demonstrate their robots to U.S. senators and the director of the National Science Foundation. Spelman was one of 21 institutions selected to showcase their technology, and the only historically Black college or university.
Other honorees include:Feb. 3: Former NBA referee Ken Hudson, the second African-American game official in league history was honored. Last August, Hudson earned the Mannie Jackson Human Spirit Award from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Feb. 5 - Hawks vs. the Chicago Bulls: The Hawks will honor Thomas G. Sampson, co-founder and currently the managing partner of Thomas, Kennedy, Sampson & Tompkins, Atlanta’s oldest minority-owned law firm. The Morehouse College graduate was the first African-American inducted into the Georgia chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates, and his name has been in each edition of The Best Lawyers in America since 1993.
Feb. 24 - Hawks vs the Timberwolves: Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Beverly Hall will be the guest of honor. Hall became the 15th APS superintendent in 1999, and last summer the American Association of School Administrators named Hall the 2009 National Superintendent of the Year. She is the first Georgia superintendent to win this award.
February 26 - Hawks vs. Dallas: The Hawks will recognize Xernona Clayton, founder, president and CEO of the Trumpet Awards Foundation, Inc. and creator and executive producer of the Foundation’s Trumpet Awards event which highlights African American accomplishments and contributions. Clayton accepted a position with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1965, working closely with the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Feb. 28 - Hawks vs the Milwaukee Bucks: During the final home game of the month, the Hawks will acknowledge the Youth Ensemble of Atlanta. The YEA provides young people with free performing arts training along with the opportunity to create original, musical dramas based on social issues. The YEA has been recognized by the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, the City of Atlanta, and Atlanta Magazine. Recently, the group traveled to China as part of a cultural and business delegation representing the City of Atlanta.
Atlanta Hawks 2009-10 season tickets start as low as $10 per game and are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting www.hawks.com or calling 1-866-715-1500. The Hawks, a member of the National Basketball Association since 1949, play in the Southeast Division, along with the Charlotte Bobcats, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic and Washington Wizards.
Founded in 1881, Spelman College is a prestigious, highly selective, liberal arts college that prepares women to change the world. Located in Atlanta, Ga., this historically black college boasts a 79 percent graduation rate, and outstanding alumnae such as Children's Defense Fund Founder Marian Wright Edelman; former U.S. Foreign Service Director General Ruth Davis, authors Tina McElroy Ansa and Pearl Cleage; and actress LaTanya Richardson. More than 83 percent of the full-time faculty members have Ph.D.s or other terminal degrees, and the average faculty to student ratio is 12:1. More than 2,100 students attend Spelman. For more information, visit: www.spelman.edu.
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