For the 35th annual Black History Month, the University of Wisconsin Athletics Department started an initiative to increase awareness about black history and culture from the perspective of Badger sports.

According to a statement released by UW Athletics, student athletes will be highlighting notable black athletes as well as famous moments in sports in public service announcements.

Public Service Announcements starring UW student athletes will be posted every day in February, and the athletic department’s website will feature story profiles of past players as well as historic newspaper articles and a time line of black history events.

The statement said the involvement of current athletes would help relate the past and the present and the impact these players made in shaping the climate in college athletics today.

The selected profile for kick-off announcement Tuesday was Leo Butts, the first black athlete to play Badger football in 1918. Varsity football player Aaron Henry recorded the PSA for Butts.

The website also offers information on general black history in UW athletics, including biographies on student-athlete pioneers, articles, time lines and photo galleries, the statement said.

On a larger scale, the Big Ten Conference will also be paying tribute to its black heritage this month.

For each day of the month, an article will be posted on the Big Ten website to honor an influential black athlete from the conference.

Athletes from each school in the conference have been selected to participate in the Black History Month initiative.

UW journalism professor James Danky said though many students know February is Black History Month, few assume an active role in educating themselves about black history.

“The issue isn’t that students are unaware of Black History Month, it’s that they are uninvolved. Current student athletes discussing those of the past are a great way for them to get involved,” he said.

Danky added UW has been at the forefront of integrating black heritage and influence into campus life, most notably by offering Afro-American studies as a major in 1970.

He said campaigns such as Wisconsin Athletics’ help to build on the history and progress of the past in order to continue making further gains in the future.