AHA Session 26A
Friday, January 3, 2025: 1:30 PM-3:00 PM
Rendezvous Trianon (New York Hilton, Third Floor)
Chair:
Carl Suddler, Emory University
Panel:
Adrian Burgos Jr., University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Samantha Gibson, Jackie Robinson Museum
Louis Allen Moore, Grand Valley State University
Samantha Gibson, Jackie Robinson Museum
Louis Allen Moore, Grand Valley State University
Session Abstract
America's former favorite pastime of baseball has experienced a well documented crisis in its failure to attract both African American talent and viewers. This once sizable segment of Major League Baseball's fanbase and talent pool has shrunk considerably in the last 40 years and have left the sport scrambling to think of new and creative ways to lure Black viewership and recruit Black talent that have ventured into the more accessible and popular sports of basketball and football.
This roundtable discussion will bring together interdisciplinary academics and public-facing scholars to address this crisis and to also delve into the rich legacy of Black baseball. Participants will discuss strategies for making this historical narrative accessible to wider audiences, fostering a dialogue between scholarly research and public engagement. The aim is to illuminate the often overlooked contributions of Black players, teams, and communities within the broader context of America's favorite pastime.
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