Join the Cranford Historical Society and the Cranford Public Library in celebrating Black History Month with “The Color Line on the Baseball Diamond,” a fascinating lecture on the history of black baseball. This special event, taking place on Wednesday, February 13, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. in the Cranford Community Center, is part of the New Jersey Council for the Humanities Public Scholars Project. The program will be presented by Dr. Lawrence Hogan, Ph.D, professor emeritus of history at Union County College.
Black baseball in America is a multifaceted narrative, including pioneers like Jackie Robinson and the rich relationships in “Blackball” during America’s era of segregation, across the nation and in New Jersey. During this session, a robust conversation, an account by a veteran Negro Leaguer, a rendition of an “iconic” baseball poem “KC at the Bat” by its author, Kevin Kane, and selections from the documentary “Before You Can Say Jackie Robinson” will further participants’ understanding.
Dr. Lawrence Hogan is the author of “A Black National News Service: Claude Barnett and the Associated Negro Press” as well as “The Forgotten History of African American Baseball.” He served as Executive Producer and historian for the documentary “Before You Can Say Jackie Robinson: Black Baseball in New Jersey and America in the Era of the Color Line.” He is the editor and co-author of “Shades of Glory: The Negro Leagues and the Story of African American Baseball” published by National Geographic and the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
No registration is required for this free event. The Cranford Community Center is located at 220 Walnut Avenue, Cranford, NJ, and is accessible to all. For more information about the Cranford Public Library, visit cranfordlibrary.org.
This program was made possible by a grant from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations in this program do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or the New Jersey Council for the Humanities.
(above) Jackie Robinson
(above) “The Color Line on the Baseball Diamond,” presented by Dr. Lawrence Hogan, Ph.D, professor emeritus of history at Union County College, will take place at the Cranford Library on February 13.
