With the arrival of spring, the sport known as “America’s pastime” has gotten off to another new season. Like other sports, baseball has given our culture some iconic images and, just as importantly, contributed to change as it relates to diversity and inclusion in both sport and society. Of course, many of us know some of the big names associated with big events, but how well do you know your sport history, especially as it relates to diversity? Let me give you an idea of what I’m talking about.
When people hear the question, “Who broke the color line in baseball,” the natural response is Jackie Robinson. Have you ever asked yourself why was there a color line in the first place or how it was manifested when there was no formal policy in the major leagues barring black players?
Here’s another question for you: who was the first black athlete to actually play major league baseball? There’s a pretty good chance you have no idea unless you’re really smart, have amazing baseball knowledge, or Googled the response. For this question, there are actually two possible answers. The first answer could have been William Edward White, who first played in 1879, while the slightly more common response would be Moses Fleetwood Walker, who played from 1884 to 1889. Why the different answers? I could tell you, but the point of this article is to spur a little interest in getting to know your sport history a little better. Nevertheless, from the time that Walker last took the field in 1889, there were no other black players in the major league until Jackie Robinson in 1947. Within that span, the Negro Leagues came into prominence and produced legends who were as good if not better than the all-White players in the major league. While there were no “official” contests between the leagues, the Negro League teams routinely beat major league teams during “exhibition” games. Any idea why those games wouldn’t be formally sanctioned? In many cases, the major league teams deliberately chose to not send or play their best players. Hmm, I wonder why.
Last questions. How many of you can name three players who participated in the Negro Leagues? How about one?
Now flip it. How easily can you name three players from that era who played in the major leagues?
Once again, the purpose of this article is not to answer questions for you but to get you to think a little more openly about the individuals and events who shaped sport culture, especially as it relates to diversity. Furthermore, better understanding the history and putting it into context may actually provide a better understanding of many of the dynamics still being experienced in today’s sport culture. It may even better inform the work that we do.
Thank you for reading and please feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions, concerns, or feedback.
On a side note, if you enjoyed this article, please let me know. If I can find the time or volunteers, I’m hoping to do a monthly short article on diversity and inclusion for the Div. 47 diversity page. This was just a small sample of what that can look like.