Darnell Artis ’16 Highlighted in Inquirer for Community Work

Photo courtesy of The Philadelphia Inquirer

GMercyU alum and Harlem Globetrotter Darnell “Speedy” Artis ’16 was recently featured in an article from The Philadelphia Inquirer for his work in the community. A native of East Germantown, Pa., Artis was told at the age of 12 that people from his community don’t go to college and play pro basketball. A shocked yet undeterred Artis used this as motivation to propel his career.

Since 2018, Artis has given back to his community by growing the UnderDawgs summer basketball league he started with childhood friends at the Lonnie Young Recreation Center. On Friday, July 26, Artis brought special guests Jaron “Boots” Ennis, IBF welterweight boxing champion, and Philly Goats, a local rapper, to the summer league.
For Artis, the summer league represents his childhood dream of playing basketball while giving back to his community and highlighting the accomplishments of others. Read the full story on The Philadelphia Inquirer and read more about Artis in his Griffin Success Story.