The Washington Nationals honored the Negro Leagues, particularly the Homestead Grays, in a game featuring giveaways, a panel discussion, and a 6-4 win over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday, June 16.
The pre-game panel discussion, moderated by Washington Informer Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes, highlighted three key voices in the Black baseball community: Sean Gibson, the great-grandson of Negro Leagues legend Josh Gibson; Doug Foster, the great-nephew of Negro National Baseball League founder Andrew “Rube” Foster, and the grandson of Bill Hendrick Foster, a Hall of Fame Negro Leagues pitcher; and Jamall McKay, the coach of Howard University’s Club Baseball team and director of Banneker City Little League.
Held at Nationals Stadium in Southeast, D.C. ahead of the Tuesday night game, the conversation covered a wide range of topics and overall encompassed how players in the Negro Leagues shaped modern baseball.
“I feel like their story isn’t told enough,” said Foster. “Anytime I get the opportunity to come and just talk about not only who they are, but not only what they did for baseball, but American culture in general, I just jump at the opportunity.”
Beyond the panel, the Nationals honored the Homestead Grays by gifting replica jerseys to the first 20,000 fans in attendance.
Amid a highly contentious voting season for the District — which ended on game day — and federal efforts to eradicate Black history and diversity, equity and inclusion, attendee Marc Harrison Sr. said the night allowed for a beautiful moment to come together.
“To see people standing for the Black National Anthem and honoring that, taking their hats off and standing and honoring that, that was huge,” said Harrison, assistant director of Athletics for D.C. Public Schools. “It’s a really beautiful thing to see so many people unified to recognize the true history of the game, not just the partial history.
