Yes, I have just about every qualification to not be able to speak about Black History Month. I'm a white, heterosexual male who grew up in a middle-class family. Not that that's bad. But have you ever sat in a school class and wondered, "what gives this person the right to talk to me about (pick a topic)?"
I do, however, work in baseball and will take the approach of using baseball to show my appreciation and gratitude.
Ken Griffey, Jr. was my favorite player growing up. He was the favorite of many. But growing up in Seattle, he was larger-than-life, even in person. I went to the Kingdome many times and saw him roam centerfield in a way nobody else could. He was fast. I also listened on the radio with bated breath to every a single swing he took. I'll never forget when Dave Niehaus, the Mariners' broadcaster, spoke of Jackie Robinson and how, had it not been for him, we may have never seen Ken Griffey, Jr. play baseball. Sure, at some point, baseball's color barrier would have to be broken. But, as a domino effect, what if the color barrier was broken much later? Would Ken Griffey, Sr. have played, and laid the foundation for his son? What if Ken, Sr. had been a factory worker?
What Jackie Robinson did was inspiring. In that moment, he became my new favorite player. More than that, he made me want to know more about African Americans and their history. I wasn't going to be able to ask anyone at school. My high school had only two black students. So I did a lot of reading, and talked to my dad, who came from a politically left-leaning family that had experienced more dialog and discourse about civil rights than most, and had more interaction with African Americans than I ever had.
What I learned about black history was incredible. The injustice even more so. And Jackie Robinson's accomplishments became all the nobler. The fights he fought were amazing. The fights he did not fight were even more amazing.
I know Larry Doby usually gets the short end of the stick. He is often called the "Jackie Robinson of the American League," because he came a few months after Robinson. He had to live with just as much racism and pure hatred as his predecessor.
But Robinson still came first. Maybe it was circumstances that allowed him to do that. But to say Doby still would have integrated at the same time is pure speculation. Without Robinson, maybe the next person comes years later.
There's a lot I could say about Black History Month. But, as I said, I work in baseball. And the events that led me to study the broader topic were inspired by a man who played baseball. The man who wrote the book "I Never Had It Made," and yet still made his life something great. So during this month, I will reflect and appreciate what those on the diamond did, starting with Jackie Robinson. And if those players are a microcosm of the greater race, then they speak volumes for why Black History Month should be studied and celebrated.
