‘Coming back here is not easy,’ Reggie Jackson says during Fox’s pregame show.
Players pause to honor Willie Mays before the start of a baseball game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants at Rickwood Field, Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Birmingham, Ala. Thursday’s game between the Giants and Cardinals at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama was billed as a celebration of the Negro Leagues. And it was. But on live TV, the painful memories of racism in the Jim Crow South were on display, too.
“Coming back here is not easy,” Jackson, 78, said during the live interview. “The racism when I played here, the difficulty of going through different places where we traveled, fortunately I had a manager and players on the team that helped me get through it. But I wouldn’t wish it on anybody.” Thirteen years after Brown v. Board of Education formally outlawed segregation in schools, Alabama still adhered to Jim Crow laws and attitudes during Jackson’s time in the city.
“We went to Charlie Finley’s country club for a welcome home dinner and they pointed me out with the n-word, ‘He can’t come in here.’
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
MLB at Rickwood Q&A with Alabama native and former MLB pitcher Jeff BrantleyFormer MLB pitcher now works as Cincinnati Reds broadcaster
Read more »
Reggie Jackson details racism he experienced while playing at Rickwood Field: 'I wouldn't wish it on anybody'Reggie Jackson spent his minor league days calling Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama, his home ballpark, but he still was subject to plenty of racism.
Read more »
2025 OT Jackson Lloyd commits to Alabama footballAlabama football landed a four-star offensive tackle's commitment in the 2025 class.
Read more »
Gulf Coast Challenge showdown at revamped Ladd-Peebles: Jackson State vs. Alabama A&MThe seventh annual Gulf Coast Challenge is only 4 months away. On Thursday representatives from Jackson State University and Alabama A&M University were in mobi
Read more »
Giants set to play at historic Rickwood Field, honor Negro LeaguesThe San Francisco Giants will make history on June 20, when they take a road trip to Birmingham, Alabama to play the St. Louis Cardinals at historic Rickwood Field.
Read more »
Will Willie Mays return home for MLB’s tribute to Negro Leagues at Rickwood Field?The 93-year-old baseball icon was born near baseball's oldest ballpark and played there one season for the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro Leagues.
Read more »