Political Quotes

“during segregation, blacks were excluded from organized baseball. To play baseball, black players and supporters organized the Negro Leagues. These leagues not only gave black players an opportunity to play, but they were an important part of the social life of the community. The Birmingham Black Barons was one of the founding teams in the Negro Southern League. They often drew larger crowds than white teams which played in the same park. Their games often featured such promotions as dance contests, beauty pageants, and visiting celebrities like Lena Horne and Lionel Hampton. The Black Barons produced players such as Willie Mays and Satchel Paige, who later had prominent careers in organized baseball, when the barriers against black players were lowered. The Birmingham Public Library is honoring players from the Birmingham Black Barons and other Negro League teams on Thursday night. At this time I would like to honor the following players: Mr. Pat Patterson, Mr. Willie Young, Mr. Eugene Williams, Mr. Norman Lumpkin, Mr. Verdell ``Lefty'' Mathis, Mr. Joe Scott, Mr. Sherwood ``Chet'' Brewer, Mr. Sammy Haynes, Mr. Frank King, Mr. James Zapp, Mr. James ``Fireball'' Bolden, Mr. Tommy Sampson, Mr. Cecil Witt, Mr. Ralph Johnson, Mr. Arthur Hamilton, Mr. John Kennedy, Mr. Anthony Lloyd, Mr. Johnnie Cowan, Mr. Bob Hayden, Mr. Carl Holden, Mr. James Norman, Mr. William Davis, Mr. Harold Hair, Mr. Willie Sims, Mr. Ralph Johnson, Mr. Louis Gillis, Mr. Carl Holden.”