Rickwood Field - A Tribute to the Negro Leagues
Facts About Rickwood Field
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“Of the ballparks that served as the primary home parks for Negro Leagues team, only five remain throughout the country. The short list includes Hamtramck Stadium in Hamtramck, Mich.; Hinchcliffe Stadium in Paterson, N.J.; J.P. Small Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla.; and League Park in Cleveland, Ohio.
There is just one other Negro Leagues park that remains standing– and it happens to be the oldest of the five. More remarkably, it is the oldest ballpark in the United States. Rickwood Field, located in Birmingham, Ala., continues to serve as a playing field for high school and college teams. First utilized as a Negro Leagues park in 1920, Rickwood dates all the way back to 1910, making it older than such venerable ballparks as Boston’s Fenway Park and Chicago’s Wrigley Field.“
-Bruce Markusen, National Baseball Hall of Fame
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In 1920, a new tenant arrived at Rickwood Field — the Birmingham Stars, later the Black Barons, who played in the Negro National League and later the Negro American League.
Many stars played for the Black Barons, including Mule Suttles, Satchel Paige, and Willie Mays. The team achieved great postseason success in the 1940s and 1950s, winning titles in 1943, 1944, 1948, and 1959.
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Rickwood Field was originally billed as the “Finest Minor League Ballpark Ever.” The park hosted the Birmingham Barons and Birmingham A’s for many years.
In 1999, the Birmingham Barons played the Huntsville Stars in the Rickwood Classic. The teams honored the Negro Leagues wearing throwback uniforms and inviting former players to attend.
Additional Resources
National Baseball Hall of Fame: “Rickwood Field Features Baseball’s Past and Present”
New York Times: “Going Back in Time, M.L.B. Will Play a Game at Rickwood Field”
Garden & Gun: “Why Birmingham’s Rickwood Field Is a National Treasure”
Rickwood Panel: Randy Winn, Condoleezza Rice, Bob Kendrick (VIDEO)
“To learn that my Giants and the Cardinals will play a game there and honor the legacy of the Negro Leagues… is really emotional for me. We can’t forget what got us here, and that was the Negro Leagues for so many of us.”
A Timeline of Rickwood Field
1910: Rickwood Field opens on August 18, built by industrialist A.H. “Rick” Woodward. The Birmingham Coal Barons beat the Montgomery Climbers 3-2 on Opening Day.
1921: The Birmingham Black Barons play their first game at Rickwood Field.
1923: The Black Barons win their first of three Negro South League pennants.
1943: The Black Barons win their first of four Negro League titles.
1948: Willie Mays plays his first games for the Black Barons, patrolling the park’s vast center field.
1963: The Black Barons disband in the years following Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball.
1999: The Birmingham Barons and Huntsville Stars play in the Rickwood Classic honoring the Negro Leagues.
2012: The Jackie Robinson biopic, 42, is filmed at Rickwood.
2024: A $5 million upgrade of Rickwood Field is completed ahead of MLB’s “Tribute to the Negro Leagues” between the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals.
SYSTEMIC RACISM - Facts & Figures
White families hold 90% of national wealth. Black families hold 2.6% of it.
For every $100 earned by white families, black families earn $57.30.
90% of businesses are white owned; 10% are owned by people of color.
Criminal Justice & Surveillance
Black people are 20% more likely to be sentenced to a jail time +20% longer sentence than whites for similar crimes.
Black people make up 13% of the nation’s population but 40% of prison population.
Black drivers are 30% more likely than white drivers to be pulled over by police.
More than half of young black americans know someone, including themselves, who has been harassed by the police.
Redlining is the systematic denial of various services to residents of specific neighborhoods or communities. It was outlawed in the 60’s but the practice and its effects never really went away.
Black americans are shown 18% fewer homes and apartments than white americans.
Black unemployment rates have been consistently 2x higher than that of whites for the past 60 years.
Applicants with white sounding names get called back 50% more than people with black names, even with identical resumes.
Black americans with college degrees are 2x more likely to be unemployed.
Education
Black students are 3x more likely to be suspended than white students for similar infractions.
Black children make up 50% of suspensions.
Once black children are in the criminal justice system, they are 18x more likely to be tried as an adult then white kids.
67% of doctors have unconscious racial biases.
Black americans are far more likely than white americans to receive access to emergency medical care.
Black mothers are 4x more likely to die from pregnancy complications.
Learn More
“America’s Racial Contract Is Killing Us” by Adam Serwer | Atlantic (May 8, 2020)
Ella Baker and the Black Freedom Movement (Mentoring a New Generation of Activists
”My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant” by Jose Antonio Vargas | NYT Mag (June 22, 2011)
The 1619 Project (all the articles) | The New York Times Magazine
The Combahee River Collective Statement
“The Intersectionality Wars” by Jane Coaston | Vox (May 28, 2019)
Tips for Creating Effective White Caucus Groups developed by Craig Elliott PhD
“Where do I donate? Why is the uprising violent? Should I go protest?”
”White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” by Knapsack Peggy McIntosh
“Who Gets to Be Afraid in America?” by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi | Atlantic (May 12, 2020)
George Floyd And Racism: 5 Conversations Credible Leaders Must Have In This Moment
What We Mean When We Say 'Race Is a Social Construct' Speaking Up Against Discrimination and Racism in the Workplace
Black Students Face Racial Bias in School Discipline
James Baldwin on Racism in America, 1968 Interview
Your Unconscious Bias Trainings Keep Failing Because You’re Not Addressing Systemic Bias
Diversity Has Become a Booming Business. So Where Are the Results?
A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Black Feminist Thought by Patricia Hill Collins
Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower by Dr. Brittney Cooper
Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon
How To Be An Antiracist by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad
Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire
Raising Our Hands by Jenna Arnold
Redefining Realness by Janet Mock
Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde
So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
Tears We Cannot Stop by Michael Eric Dyson
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
The Next American Revolution: Sustainable Activism for the Twenty-First Century by Grace Lee Boggs
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color by Cherríe Moraga
What Truth Sounds Like by Michael Eric Dyson
When Affirmative Action Was White: An Untold History of Racial Inequality in Twentieth-Century America by Ira Katznelson
White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo, PhD
Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi
Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X and Alex Haley
Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community by Martin Luther King Jr.
The End of Policing by Alex S. Vitale
How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery by Clint Smith
Children’s books to support conversations on race, racism and resistance
PBS: Talking with kids on Racial Injustice
Talking to Children About Racial Bias
Sesame Street Town Hall: Coming Together & Standing Up for Racism
Are your kids to young to talk about race?
Talking With Children About Racism, Police Brutality and Protests
How White Parents Can Talk To Their Kids About Race
They’re Not Too Young to Talk About Race
"How Studying Privilege Systems Can Strengthen Compassion" | Peggy McIntosh at TEDxTimberlaneSchools (18:26)
OWN Spotlight - Where do we go from here? Part 1: A conversation led by Oprah
OWN Spotlight - Where do we go from here? Part 2: A conversation led by Oprah
Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man by Emmanuel Acho
TED Talk: We Need to Talk About an Injustic by Bryan Stevenson
The Daily Show: George Floyd, Minneapolis Protests, Ahmaud Arbery & Amy Cooper
Mayor Breed's Discussion on Racial Justice and Police Reform (on June 11th)
Gregg Popovich on America in 2020, the Leadership Void, and What Needs to Change
Being Black in America and Baseball (NEW)
Steve Kerr, David West, Rep. Eric Swalwell on BLM movement | Race in America (NEW)
How to deconstruct racism, one headline at a time | Baratunde Thurston (NEW)
13th (Ava DuVernay) — Netflix
American Son (Kenny Leon) — Netflix
Black Power Mixtape: 1967-1975 — Available to rent on YouTube, Google Play and iTunes
Blindspotting (Carlos López Estrada) — Hulu with Cinemax or available to rent
Clemency (Chinonye Chukwu) — Available to rent on Amazon Prime, YouTube, and Google Play
Dear White People (Justin Simien) — Netflix
Fruitvale Station (Ryan Coogler) — Available to rent
I Am Not Your Negro (James Baldwin doc) — Available to rent or on Kanopy
If Beale Street Could Talk (Barry Jenkins) — Hulu
Just Mercy (Destin Daniel Cretton) — Available to rent for free on Amazon prime in June in the U.S. Also available on YouTube and Google Play
King In The Wilderness — HBO
See You Yesterday (Stefon Bristol) — Netflix
Selma (Ava DuVernay) — Available to rent on Amazon prime
The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution — Available to rent on Amazon prime, YouTube, Google Play, iTunes
The Hate U Give (George Tillman Jr.) — Hulu with Cinemax
When They See Us (Ava DuVernay) — Netflix
The PBS Series: Unnatural Causes… is inequality making us sick?
Antiracism Center: Twitter
Audre Lorde Project: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Black Women’s Blueprint: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Color Of Change: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Colorlines: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
The Conscious Kid: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Equal Justice Initiative (EJI): Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Families Belong Together: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Justice League NYC: Twitter | Instagram
Gathering For Justice: Twitter | Instagram
The Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
MPowerChange: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Muslim Girl: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
NAACP: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
National Domestic Workers Alliance: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
RAICES: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ): Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
SisterSong: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
United We Dream: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
The Jackie Robinson Foundation: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Campaign Zero: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
NAACP Legal Defense Fund: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Alive & Free: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Equal Justice Society: Twitter | Facebook
Glide: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
San Francisco African American Arts and Cultural District: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
San Francisco Bayview Hunter’s Point YMCA: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
San Francisco NAACP: Twitter | Facebook
TGI Justice Project: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice
Jenna Arnold’s resources (books and people to follow)
Rachel Ricketts’ anti-racism resources
Resources for White People to Learn and Talk About Race and Racism
Save the Tears: White Woman’s Guide by Tatiana Mac
Showing Up For Racial Justice’s educational toolkits
The [White] Shift on Instagram
“Why is this happening?” — an introduction to police brutality from 100 Year Hoodie
Zinn Education Project’s teaching materials
A Timeline of Events That Led to the 2020 'Fed Up'-rising
Bay Area Black-led owned non-profit organizations
John Lewis & CT Vivian
For more than five decades, Reverend C.T. Vivian and Congressman Lewis were fearless advocates of freedom and social justice. They were dedicated participants at sit-ins to desegregate lunch counters, organized Freedom Rides and became leaders of the civil rights movement that pushed America forward -- one march, freedom ride, and demonstration at a time. They practiced nonviolence, even in the face of angry mobs and beatings by police, and their work led to the passing of the Civil Rights bills and Voting Rights Act. They both received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for their lifelong work.
As two of the foremost advocates for justice during the Civil Rights Movement, John Lewis and C.T. Vivian stood on the front lines of the fight for equality. That movement lives on now in Black Lives Matter. Join us at noon for a moment of reflection as we honor their work and the legacy they left for us to continue to build upon.
"Though I am gone, I urge you to answer the highest calling of your heart and stand up for what you truly believe."
John Lewis
RESOURCES:
Together, You can Redeem the Soul of Our Nation
Monte Irvin
When he joined the New York Giants, Irvin became one of the earliest African-American MLB players. He played in two World Series for the Giants. When future Hall of Famer Willie Mays joined the Giants in 1951, Irvin was asked to mentor him. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973. After his playing career, Irvin was a baseball scout and held an administrative role with the MLB commissioner's office. Learn More . . . .
Ozzie Virgil
On September 23, 1956, he became the first person from his native country, Dominican Republic, to play in the Majors when he started for the Giants at third base against the Phillies. Twenty-one months later, on June 6, 1958, Virgil became the first player of African descent to take the field for the Tigers, again starting at third base, this time against the Washington Senators. Learn more . . . .
Felipe Alou
Born May 12, 1935, is a former Major League Baseball outfielder, first baseman, and manager. He managed the Montreal Expos (1992–2001) and the San Francisco Giants (2003–06). The first Dominican to play regularly in the major leagues, he is the most prominent member of one of the sport's most notable families of the late 20th century: he was the oldest of the trio of baseball-playing brothers that included Matty and Jesús, who were both primarily outfielders, and his son Moisés was also primarily an outfielder; all but Jesús have been named All-Stars at least twice. His son Luis, in turn, manages the New York Mets. Learn more . . . .
Alyssa Nakken
Nakken joined the Giants' baseball operations department as an intern in 2014. She worked for the team on health and wellness programs. In 2015, she earned a master's degree in sports management from the University of San Francisco, where she also worked as the chief information officer for the baseball team.[4] The Giants promoted her to the major league coaching staff as an assistant coach in January 2020, making her the first full-time female coach in MLB history. Learn more . . . .
Mashi Murakami
On September 1, 1964, San Francisco Giants pitcher Masanori “Mashi” Murakami became the first Japanese-born player to play in a Major League Baseball game. He was born in Otsuki, Japan on May 6, 1944 and went on to be recruited by the the Nankai Hawks of the Japanese Pacific League in 1963. A year later he went over to the United States to train with the Giants. Originally meant to be a temporary situation, Murakami quickly became a star in the states. He ultimately pitched in 45 games for the Giants and struck out 85 in 74.1 innings. Learn more . . . .
