The History of Negro League Baseball

April 1, 2022

|In Black History in Two Minutes (or so), Season 2

Baseball is one of America’s staples that dates back to the 1800s. And while the culture of catchy tunes and snacks are shared from coast to coast, the journey to inclusivity was a long, hard, and well-earned fight for Black athletes.

Prior to the formal creation of the National Baseball League in 1876, Black and White players played baseball together. But, as separate but equal became the law of the land, restrictions and limitations entered the sports world, forcing Black players to develop their own Negro League. Eventually, Jackie Robinson would cross the color lines to create a space for integration to be possible.

In this episode of Black History In Two Minutes or So hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. — with additional commentary from Imani Perry of Princeton University and Hasan Jeffries of Ohio State University, we celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the integration of the National Baseball League, all the while paying homage to the men who created a space for excellence when the White community opted for separation.

Black History in Two Minutes (or so) is a 4x Webby Award winning series.

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Archival Materials Courtesy of:
• Alamy Images
• ASSOCIATED PRESS
• Everett Collection, Inc.
• Getty Images
• Library of Congress

Executive Producers:
• Robert F. Smith
• Henry Louis Gates Jr.
• Dyllan McGee
• Deon Taylor

Senior Producer:
• William Ventura

Series Producers:
• Chinisha Scott
• William Ventura

Executive in Charge of Production:
• Robert L. Yacyshyn

Post Production Supervisor:
• Veronica Leib

Post Production Coordinator:
• Katherine Swiatek

Written By:
• Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Additional Writing:
• Kevin Burke
• Kelsi Lindus
• Chinisha Scott
• William Ventura

Editors:
• Margaret Metzger
• Anne Yao

Producer:
• Kevin Burke

Archival Producer:
• Megan Graham