Between now and Feb. 27, we're all on pins and needles. |
He took it a whole lot better than I did; I'm still mad. |
I call it a barnstorming tour. Taking it to communities all over the country, introducing many folks to Negro Leagues baseball for the first time. |
It's a wonderful glimpse at something great that emerged from a difficult time in our society. For a great many of our visitors, they're walking in the door and getting their first look at something they didn't know anything about. It has been awe-inspiring for a lot of folks. |
It's been one of the biggest things that this museum has ever done. Most people with some kind of knowledge of [the Negro Leagues] thought it was some kind of vagabond league, and it turns into some kind of grandiose story. |
Literally, we're taking the story to the people. If you're of African American or Latin descent, this is like a Mecca. These are your roots. You don't play this game if not for these guys who played in the Negro League. |
Most people don't know these guys came out of the Negro Leagues, and those are some of the household names in Major League Baseball. That's just a sampling of the kind of talent that was present in the Negro Leagues. |
This will provide a glimpse of what life was like in the Negro Leagues. |
We would love everyone to come to Kansas City. |
When they see images of guys like Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Ernie Banks and Roy Campanella, whom they recognize as household major-league stars, and realize they came out of the Negro Leagues, all of a sudden that mindset changes. |
You learn what they had to endure to build this enterprise, but you also learn what an incredible enterprise they were able to sculpt out of the hardships of segregation. |