You’ll be proud too, once you check out Terrance Hayes.

He’s man who defies labels. He’s a poet. He’s a baller. He’s a professor at Carnegie Mellon University. He’s a brother who’s high on consciousness. He’s a culturist. A modern day pioneer.

He’s inspiring, the kind of dude you’d wanna hang out with for a day.

All of that, and he’s also down with Black Fives — a long time fan.

So I decided to ask him a few questions one-on-one.

But before I get to that, check this out.

Hayes was featured the other day in an extensive segment on the PBS Newshour and it’s online counterpart that includes his filmed interview, extra clips of him reading some of his poems, a transcript, extended interview footage, and his bio.

If you watch carefully you can see a collectible Scholastic Athletic Association of Pittsburgh pennant by Black Fives hanging on the wall in Hayes’ office.

Some background on Hayes, from his bio on PBS.com:

Hayes attended college on a basketball scholarship.

Terrance Hayes is a professor of Creative Writing at Carnegie Mellon University and lives in Pittsburgh, Pa., with his family.

He was born in Columbia, S.C., and received a B.A. from Coker College and an M.F.A. from the University of Pittsburgh writing program.

He is the author of three books of poems: “Muscular Music” (1999); “Hip Logic” (2002, National Poetry Series winner); and “Wind in a Box” (2006).

Hayes is the recipient of many awards, including a Whiting Writers Award, the Kate Tufts Discovery Award, a Pushcart Prize, a Best American Poetry selection, and a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship.

I’m so jealous of his students, man, because I’d love to go back in time and have Hayes as one of my professors at Carnegie Mellon, where I attended college. I mean, what kind of a professor wears sweatshirts and Black Fives gear to work?? Damn, he’s a one-man-reason to apply to C.M.U., don’t you think?

So, here’s our one-on-one:

Terrance:
Thanks for your interest in me and my work, man. It means a lot. You and the work you do inspire me.

Claude:
Thank you! How’d you find out about Black Fives?

Terrance:
I’m not sure how I learned of the Black Fives. It was bound to float into my line of sight at some point though — basketball, black history, complex brothers — I was bound to find it because it touches so many things and ideas that are valuable to me.

Claude:
What was your first impression of this newly discovered history?

Terrance:
I was most interested in the long line of interesting folk involved with it– especially Paul Robeson. Damn, these brothers had full lives, I thought to myself the first time I went over the biographies of the players. Where’s the Black Fives movie?!

Hayes on the PBS Newshour.

Claude:
It’s coming! Could you describe what you feel about the idea of Black Fives as a brand, and what you feel about the pioneers of the Black Fives Era?

Terrance:
This is sort of connected to Robeson and to the “Harlem Renaissance” team. The brand suggests the sense of community and creativity behind so much of our history. Nowadays it’s hard to find the same depth in our groups and public figures. Most of our leaders and leading organizations never venture outside their professional areas.

But think of this: someone like Barack Obama would have played for a B5 team back in the day. (Might not have started though.) And playing would not have kept him from becoming “President Obama.” I’m wondering when we’ll have our contemporary Paul Robeson — or even a Bill Bradley– someone who excels in pro sports and goes on to excel in the socio-political arena. Maybe in football we had Jim Brown and Ali. Who do we have now?

Claude:
Good question! Is what you feel linked to your specific basketball background, or to a particular moment on the court?

Terrance:
Yeah, its linked to my background. I would not have gone to college without a basketball scholarship. When I got there my coach wanted me to be a ballplayer first. Then maybe a scholar, then possibly an artist. He wanted me to focus (limit) my interests. I didn’t feel like I had to choose one over the other. People — especially black people are complex, complicated. So I remained both an artist and a ball player and a scholar. I tried to leave my sweat on everything I did.

Black Fives is an example of how open we should be to the future, to the roads we travel. It shows how our passions, talents, and professions can and should intersect … how one man need not be one man.

Claude:
That’s deep my brother, thank you. So, what are you doing next to “make history now?”

Terrance:
Still trying to be open to the paths before me. Still balling a few days a week in the middle of writing and parenting and teaching. To make history, you have to work on your future. To work on your future you have to work on your present. Your presence.

(Photos courtesy of PBS.com.)