[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 86 (Thursday, June 19, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1273]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO THE NEGRO BASEBALL LEAGUE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JOHN LEWIS

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 19, 1997

  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I 
bring the attention of my colleagues to a very special event occurring 
in Atlanta, GA, next week. On the weekend of June 27, the Atlanta 
Braves and BellSouth will host a reunion and recognition event in honor 
of the legendary teams and players of the Negro Baseball League. 
Approximately 100 Negro leaguers from around the country, fans and 
friends will be convening in Atlanta to celebrate the remarkable 
achievements of an unheralded group of African-American men, members of 
the Negro Baseball League.
  In this 50th anniversary year of Jackie Robinson's historic breaking 
of the color barrier in major league baseball, it is fitting and 
appropriate that Congress, citizens of Atlanta, and the entire Nation 
take a moment to pay tribute to the great African-American teams and 
players that made sports history. These were athletes who played with 
teams such as the Kansas City Monarchs, the New York Black Yankees, and 
the Baltimore Elite Giants. In the South, we had the Atlanta Black 
Crackers and the Birmingham Black Barons, to name but a few. Their 
daily triumphs were ignored by major newspapers of the Jim Crow era and 
their accomplishments have all but been overlooked in the annals of 
sports history. It cannot be denied, however, that the Negro Baseball 
League and the players that formed these teams made immeasurable 
contributions to America's favorite pastime, our national sport, 
baseball.
  The term ``Negro Leagues'' describes the all-professional, all-Negro 
baseball teams operating between 1880 and 1955, hundreds of which 
traveled throughout the United States during that time. The first Negro 
leagues started out in Kansas City, MO. Despite the hardships imposed 
by the Nation's rigid racial barriers, the Negro leagues managed not 
only to survive, but to thrive and grow. Even the prevailing myth of 
white supremacy could not deny the talents of these men. Author Robert 
Peterson, who chronicled the story of the leagues, perhaps summed it 
best with the title of his book, ``Only the Ball Was White.''
  The league served as a showcase of talent and entertainment. The 
players were truly living legends. Many of the names of the great stars 
and the teams live on and form an integral part of our cherished sports 
history. The legendary Satchel Paige was a pitcher whose name is still 
synonymous with excellence. The league's Josh Gibson was one of the 
game's greatest hitters. Willie Mays, Roy Campanella, and the homerun 
king of all time, Hank Aaron, are all legends of the Negro Baseball 
League.
  The significance of the leagues went far beyond the world of sports. 
The men who formed these teams were pioneers in nurturing and fostering 
self-pride among African-Americans. These sports heroes have left a 
powerful legacy that has enriched American history.
  As some of the living legends of Negro baseball gather in Atlanta 
this month, I know my colleagues will join me in sending these 
outstanding men our appreciation for their glorious accomplishments and 
the enduring memories they have inscribed in the hearts and minds of 
millions of Americans.

                          ____________________