Editorial: Deaths of black pioneers lend added meaning to month

[WeekiWater]

We must learn from the legacy of such inspiring individuals.

Fate has lent extra meaning to Black History Month this year, especially for baseball fans. Two pioneers in the integration of the sport— Frank Robinson and Don Newcombe — passed away this month.

Newcombe, who died Tuesday at the age of 92, was among the first black players to break baseball's color line in the 1940s. He and teammates Jackie Robinson and Roy Campanella were signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers around the same time. Jackie Robinson famously arrived in the major leagues in 1947. Newcombe made his Dodger debut in 1949. Robinson and Newcombe, each a trailblazer in his own right, were roommates for two years.

Newcombe endured the same sorts of challenges faced by Robinson and other black players of that era, including brutal hostility from opponents and racist fans. In some cities the black players had to stay in segregated hotels away from the rest of the team.

Nevertheless, he had an excellent career and recorded a remarkable string of firsts: first African-American pitcher to start a World Series game; first African-American to win 20 games; and one of the first four African-Americans to integrate baseball's All-Star Game.

Reading Eagle Editorial

[Hortensis]

1. I saw a tribute to Elizabeth Jennings (Graham), who insisted on

riding a "white-only" street car in 1854 (!), was thrown off by the police officer who was summoned, sued for the right to use public transportation, and whose victory established a huge official step toward securing that right in 1855 -- a beginning 100 years before Rosa Parks' SCOTUS case finally established it for all across the nation.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

2. thanks, didn't know about her!

http://amsterdamnews.com/news/2018/feb/20/elizabeth-jennings-graham-warrior/

https://www.ebony.com/black-history/elizabeth-jennings-graham-new-york-womenshistory/

http://elizabethjenningsgraham.weebly.com/

[Hortensis]

3. I didn't either. Or at least if I once did, I didn't remember.

Awesome to imagine her doing that before the Civil War and 2 years before the despicable Dred Scott decision. The NYC court found for her, though.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

4. jury awarded damages

From the ebony link above:

In 1855, a jury found in Graham’s favor and awarded her $250 in damages and $22.50 for costs. The judge presiding over the case ruled “Colored persons if sober, well behaved and free from disease, had the same rights as others and could neither be excluded by any rules of the Company, nor by force or violence.” Not exactly a ringing endorsement of equal rights, but it was a significant statement at the time.

The Third Avenue Railroad company officially desegregated its streetcars almost immediately after the verdict and a decade later, New York City fully desegregated its public transportation.

That's just amazing.

[Hortensis]

6. Yes. Before the Civil War! That "free from disease"

reminds me I read that before antibiotics special marine hospitals had to be created on the Great Lakes because ships with sick sailors weren't allowed to put into most ports for fear of bringing contagion. I'm sure this was a concern everywhere and is almost certainly the reason why this clause was included in a decision regarding public transportation. Sober and well behaved likely also existing stipulations.

[WeekiWater]

7. Thanks for sharing that.

The fight goes on. This line in the editorial really stuck out to me.

Today, Dave Roberts of the Dodgers, who led his team to two consecutive World Series, is the only African-American manager in the major leagues.”

[Hortensis]

8. :) Thanks for your OP, Weeki.

I didn't know that about baseball managers, but "More than half the major league teams have had black managers since his debut in the Cleveland dugout." That's not exactly impressive, but black players have been declining in numbers. Just looked and just 8.4% in 2018... At least the barrier Robinson broke remains good and broken, in spite of the dearth right now.

[malaise]

5. THoughtful post

Rec