CHAPEL HILL – In recognition of Black History Month in February, a group of alumni from historically black high schools has offered an interesting and inexpensive way for communities to participate in reclaiming a part of their own history.

The NCHSAC Alumni have suggested that NCHSAA member schools could designate a basketball game in February as NCHSAC Recognition Night, and alumni from the NCHSAC school could even be invited to attend or recognized at halftime.

The North Carolina High School Athletic Conference (NCHSAC) was the organization for black high schools that conducted state championships, registered game officials and provided other services for its schools for a period of almost 50 years. The NCHSAC folded in 1967 and its remaining schools joined the North Carolina High School Athletic Association.

In addition, the NCHSAC Alumni are participating in a project to continue to research the history of the NCHSAC and list as many of its team champions as possible. The NCHSAA has done a good deal of research and even lists as many NCHSAC champions as it can in its publications and records, but the list is not complete.

Coach Harvey Heartley, who is chairing the NCHSAC Alumni organization and also working on the historical research, urges anybody who has information about NCHSAC championships or any alumni associations for old NCHSAC member schools which are still operating to forward him that information.

Material which documents championships, such as copies of newspaper clippings, and other information may be sent to Coach Heartley at P.O. Box 26381, Raleigh, NC 27611 or faxed to him at (919) 835-9814. Other details or questions about the possibility of an NCHSAC recognition night could be e-mailed to him at hheartley@bellsouth.net.

Coach Heartley hopes to publish a pictorial history of the NCHSAC.