[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 701 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 701

  Recognizing the teams and players of the Negro Baseball Leagues for 
 their achievements, dedication, sacrifices, and contributions to both 
                        baseball and the Nation.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 25, 2012

 Mr. Cleaver (for himself, Mr. Clay, Mr. Carnahan, Mrs. Hartzler, and 
Mr. Luetkemeyer) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
                 to the Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Recognizing the teams and players of the Negro Baseball Leagues for 
 their achievements, dedication, sacrifices, and contributions to both 
                        baseball and the Nation.

Whereas prior to 1947, Major League Baseball excluded African-Americans from 
        playing professional baseball, but could not suppress their desire to 
        play the sport;
Whereas African-Americans began organizing their own professional baseball teams 
        in 1885;
Whereas 6 separate baseball leagues, known collectively as the ``Negro 
        Leagues'', were organized by African-Americans between 1920 and 1960;
Whereas the Negro Leagues included exceptionally talented players who played the 
        game at its highest level;
Whereas on May 20, 1920, the Negro National League, the first successful Negro 
        League, played its first game;
Whereas the skills and abilities of players in the Negro Leagues contributed to 
        the realization by Major League Baseball of the need to integrate 
        African-Americans into the sport;
Whereas Major League Baseball did not fully integrate until July 1959;
Whereas the Negro Leagues and their players were extraordinarily successful and 
        popular throughout the Nation before integration into Major League 
        Baseball;
Whereas the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, was founded 
        in 1990, in honor of those individuals who played in the Negro Baseball 
        Leagues as a result of segregation in the Nation;
Whereas the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is the only public museum in the 
        Nation that exists for the exclusive purpose of interpreting the 
        experiences of the players in the Negro Leagues from 1920 through 1960;
Whereas there remains a need to preserve the evidence of honor, courage, 
        sacrifice, and triumph in the face of segregation of those African-
        Americans who played in the Negro Leagues;
Whereas the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum seeks to educate a diverse audience 
        through its comprehensive collection of historical materials, important 
        artifacts, and oral histories of the participants in the Negro Leagues 
        and the impact that segregation played in the lives of these individuals 
        and their fans; and
Whereas a great opportunity exists to use the invaluable resources of the Negro 
        Leagues Baseball Museum to teach the Nation's school children and 
        others, through on-site visits, traveling exhibits, classroom 
        curriculum, distance learning, and other educational initiatives: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the teams and players of the Negro Baseball 
        Leagues for their achievements, dedication, sacrifices, and 
        contributions to both baseball and the Nation;
            (2) supports the designation of the Negro Leagues Baseball 
        Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, including the museums future 
        and expanded exhibits, collections library, archives, 
        artifacts, and education programs as ``America's National Negro 
        Leagues Baseball Museum'';
            (3) supports the efforts of the Negro Leagues Baseball 
        Museum to recognize and preserve the history of the Negro 
        Leagues and the impact of segregation on the Nation;
            (4) recognizes that the continued collection, preservation, 
        and interpretation of the historical objects and other 
        historical materials held by the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum 
        enhances the knowledge and understanding of the experience of 
        African-Americans during segregation;
            (5) asks all Americans to join in celebrating the Negro 
        Leagues Baseball Museum and its mission of preserving and 
        interpreting the legacy of the Negro Leagues; and
            (6) encourages present and future generations to understand 
        the sensitive issues surrounding the Negro Leagues, how they 
        helped shape the Nation and Major League Baseball, and how the 
        sacrifices made by Negro League players helped make baseball 
        America's national pastime.
                                 <all>