Photo: Megan Ellis / Unsplash
By Charles Collier
Discrimination without compensation is frowned upon. MLB discriminated against former Negro League players from 1920-1948. Major League Baseball needs to right the wrong.
They (MLB) should provide economic support to the heirs of former Negro League Players (FNLPH). I opine, that MLB needs to pay reparations to FNLPH. In addition, the Rickwood game honoring Negro League Players in Birmingham, Alabama should be an annual game played on Juneteenth Day each year. 7.5 percent of the proceeds from the game should go to former Negro League Players’ heirs and 7.5 percent should be donated to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Finally, MLB should offer internships to train heirs for front-office jobs.
According to Lee Hawkins, a journalist, author, podcaster, and 2022 Pulitzer Prize Finalist who has written extensively about economic reparations. “I believe Major League Baseball has a responsibility to pay economic reparations to the families of Negro League Players who were legally barred and banned from playing in MLB due to segregation policies. The government, through its segregation laws and policies, played a significant role in perpetuating this exclusion and a broader systemic racism of the time. Therefore, the government can and should participate in these reparations and talks. In any reparation scenario, the affected families and communities must have a say in determining the forms of compensation that would be most meaningful and beneficial to them. Establishing dialogues based on these parameters ensures reparations are just and impactful, addressing the historical wrongs and the present-day needs of these communities.”
MLB should appoint Bob Kendrick who is currently the president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum to form a committee that consists of Lee Hawkins, affected families, and community leaders. The committee should explore forms of compensation, the amount and how they should be paid, and identify the current Negro League heirs. MLB needs to establish an internship consisting of former Negro League heirs to train them for front-office jobs. Finally, MLB should pay a portion of the proceeds from the Rickwood game to heirs and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.