“One thing that I really found interesting was that at the Negro League games, the crowd wasn’t segregated. Everybody sat together,” McDuffie said. “That wasn’t the case at Major League Baseball games, so I thought that was really cool. You never really hear about that, and I think it’s cool because it helped transform society into what it is today. What this league did for us is amazing.”
It’s why Kendrick, who describes the museum as “home” for minority athletes of any background, has dedicated his life to preserving the Negro Leagues’ legacy. It’s also why Reid, a self-described “lifetime learner,” was so excited to share it with the high schoolers in attendance.
“It’s all about talking to them and spreading a message,” Reid explained. “I understand that I didn’t get to where I am now by myself. I learned a lot from the people who came before me just because I paid attention and listened to them. If these kids are willing to do the same thing, I’m always trying to pay it forward by being a voice for them.”
That message is particularly impactful when paired with the meaning behind Juneteenth and the metaphorical bridge that Kendrick discussed at the beginning of the tour.
“Growing up, I didn’t really know a lot about it. I understood that Juneteenth was a celebration of Black culture, but it was never really defined for me. I never truly understood it, but as I’ve grown up, I’ve realized that it’s about being part of something bigger than myself,” McDuffie said. “It’s a way to look back at the history of everyone who came before me and to appreciate them. It’s because of them that I can sit here today and live my life.”
And while society has made strides since the days of when Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson – two Negro Leagues’ superstars – were prohibited from playing alongside their white counterparts, the visit provided a reminder that we still have a long way to go.
“When I was younger, I used to think that 1946 was such a long time ago. As I’ve gotten older,…
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