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2020 SESSION

20108896D
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 133
Offered February 27, 2020
Commemorating the legacy of the Negro National League.
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Patrons-- Bagby, Aird, Askew, Ayala, Bourne, Carroll Foy, Cole, J.G., Hayes, Herring, Jenkins, Jones, Lindsey, McQuinn, Price, Rasoul, Scott, Torian, Tyler and Ward
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WHEREAS, the Negro National League, one of the most prominent of several leagues that served African Americans during the period when baseball was segregated in the United States, was established 100 years ago; and

WHEREAS, not long after the Civil War, the National Association of Base Ball Players voted to ban African American players from its teams, and the first all-black professional team was not established until 1885; and

WHEREAS, Andrew Bishop “Rube” Foster, a talented pitcher and manager who founded the Chicago American Giants, was the driving force behind the establishment of the Negro National League on February 13, 1920; and

WHEREAS, eight organizations played during the inaugural season of the Negro National League in 1920, the Chicago American Giants, the Chicago Giants, the Cuban Stars, the Dayton Marcos, the Detroit Stars, the Indianapolis ABCs, the Kansas City Monarchs, and the St. Louis Stars; and

WHEREAS, the Negro National League was the first of the segregated baseball leagues to achieve stability and last for more than one season; its success prompted the subsequent formation of the Eastern Colored League, and the first World Series between the two leagues was held in 1924; and

WHEREAS, the Negro National League was significantly impacted by the beginning of the Great Depression, as well as Rube Foster’s death in 1930, and ceased operations in 1931, but the league inspired the creation of many other baseball organizations that served African Americans from the 1930s until the 1960s; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That the legacy of the Negro National League be commemorated on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the league’s establishment; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to descendants of members of the Negro National League as an expression of the House of Delegates’ appreciation for the league’s historical significance and its contributions to America’s pastime.