Introduction
The formation of the Negro Leagues provided a platform for African American players in professional baseball to showcase their talents during the early 20th century. Yet, the Negro Leagues were plagued by social injustices that exposed and sought to improve inequality during this period. One social injustice in the Negro League Baseball during the 1920s and 1930s was the lack of equal pay for African American players compared to their white counterparts. This was a significant social injustice that exposed and sought to improve the inequality within the baseball industry.
Prominent Figures Connected to the Movement
Effa Manley, co-owner of the Newark Eagles, and Jackie Robinson, who broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball, were crucial figures for equal pay for African American players in the Negro Leagues. Manley was a vocal advocate for the rights of African American players and worked to improve their pay and working conditions (Overmyer). A unique example of this pay disparity was the case of black women baseball players in Southern Ontario as “male sport simply ignore women’s existence in other important contexts of physical activity” (Nzindukiyimana and Wamsley, p.1290). They faced discrimination and were paid less than their white and male counterparts despite their equal skill and dedication to the sport.
Important Events Connected to the Movement
One significant event that brought attention to the issue of unequal pay for African American players was the 1946 Negro League World Series between the Newark Eagles and the Kansas City Monarchs. The Monarchs were considered the best team in the Negro Leagues, while the Eagles were the second-best team (Overmyer). Despite this, the Eagles were only offered half of the Monarchs’ salary for the series, highlighting the pay disparities within the league.
Important Causes of the Movement
The leading cause for equal pay in the Negro Leagues was racial discrimination and segregation in the United States during the early 20th century. This caused African American players to face unequal pay and limited opportunities in professional baseball (Campbell). African American players were restricted from playing in the major leagues (Breaking the Color Line) and were often paid less than their white counterparts in the minor leagues (Faina). One example of this pay discrepancy was Alfred “Army” Cooper, who played for the 25th Infantry, a team made up of African American soldiers, and was paid less than his white counterparts in the military league (Eberle). The formation of the Negro Leagues provided a platform for African American players to showcase their talents, but they still faced discrimination and unequal pay within their league.
Important Results of the Movement
The movement for equal pay in the Negro Leagues had limited success in achieving its goal during the 1920s and 1930s. Pay disparities between white and black players persisted (York and Miree). However, activists like Effa Manley (Overmyer) and players like Jackie Robinson (Campbell) helped bring attention to the issue and laid the groundwork for future progress. The eventual integration of Major in 1947, led by Robinson breaking the color barrier, helped to pave the way for more opportunities and better pay for African American players in professional Baseball (Ruck). Despite these changes, the fight for equal pay and representation for African American players in baseball continues to this day.
Conclusion
The lack of equal pay for African American players in the Negro Leagues during the 1920s and 1930s was a significant social injustice that exposed and sought to improve the inequality within the baseball industry. Although the movement had limited success during this time, it laid the groundwork for future progress. It helped pave the way for more opportunities and better pay for African American players in professional Baseball. The legacy of this movement is still evident today in the way that the sports industry continues to address and work towards addressing issues of pay and representation for athletes of color.
Works Cited
“Breaking the Color Line: 1940 to 1946.” The Library of Congress, Web.
Campbell, Brian E. “African American Sports Journalists and Athletes as Foreign Correspondents for the Black Press, 1930-1950.” Journalism History, vol. 46, no. 4, Informa UK Limited, 2020, pp. 358–74.
Eberle, Mark. “Alfred ‘Army’ Cooper: A Baseball Career with the 25th Infantry, Negro Leagues, and Tournament Teams.” FHSU Scholars Repository, Web.
Faina, Joseph M. “Baseball Made ‘Whole’: Rhetorical Hierarchy and Post-racial Discourse in Major League Baseball’s Inclusion of the Negro Leagues.” Communication &Amp; Sport, SAGE Publications, 2022, p. 216747952211209.
Nzindukiyimana, Ornella, and Kevin B. Wamsley. “‘We Played Ball Just the Same’: Selected Recollections of Black Women’s Sport Experiences in Southern Ontario (1920s–1940s).” The International Journal of the History of Sport, vol. 36, no. 13–14, Informa UK Limited, 2019, pp. 1289–310.
Overmyer, James. Queen of the Negro Leagues: Effa Manley and the Newark Eagles. Negro Leagues Centennial, Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2020.
Ruck, Rob. “Reflections on African Americans in Baseball: No Longer the Vanguard of Change.” Race and Social Problems, vol. 13, no. 3, Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2021, pp. 172–81.
York, Kenneth, and Cynthia Miree. “Achieving Competitive Balance in the Face of Resource Uncertainty: A Resource Dependence Perspective on the Negro Leagues.” Management &Amp; Organizational History, vol. 15, no. 1, Informa UK Limited, 2020, pp. 22–39.
Annotated Bibliography
“Breaking the Color Line: 1940 to 1946.” The Library of Congress, Web.
This primary source provides an overview of the history of African American players in professional baseball, focusing on the period leading up to Jackie Robinson’s historic debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. It provides valuable historical context for the essay on the movement for equal pay in the Negro Leagues.
Campbell, Brian E. “African American Sports Journalists and Athletes as Foreign Correspondents for the Black Press, 1930-1950.” Journalism History, vol. 46, no. 4, Informa UK Limited, 2020, pp. 358–74.
This article examines the role of African American sports journalists and athletes in shaping the narrative of race relations in the United States through their reporting to the black press. The article helps to understand how the black press covered the issue of pay disparities in the Negro Leagues and how African American athletes used their platforms to speak out against racial discrimination.
Eberle, Mark. “Alfred ‘Army’ Cooper: A Baseball Career with the 25th Infantry, Negro Leagues, and Tournament Teams.” FHSU Scholars Repository, Web.
This monograph provides an in-depth biographical study of Alfred Cooper, a baseball player who competed in the Negro Leagues during the 1920s and 1930s. This source will offer a personal perspective on the challenges faced by African American players in the Negro Leagues during this period.
Faina, Joseph M. “Baseball Made ‘Whole’: Rhetorical Hierarchy and Post-racial Discourse in Major League Baseball’s Inclusion of the Negro Leagues.” Communication &Amp; Sport, SAGE Publications, 2022, p. 216747952211209.
This article discusses the discourse surrounding the integration of the Negro Leagues into Major League Baseball. This article provides valuable insight into the discourse surrounding the integration of the Negro Leagues and how it perpetuated racial hierarchies.
Nzindukiyimana, Ornella, and Kevin B. Wamsley. “‘We Played Ball Just the Same’: Selected Recollections of Black Women’s Sport Experiences in Southern Ontario (1920s–1940s).” The International Journal of the History of Sport, vol. 36, no. 13–14, Informa UK Limited, 2019, pp. 1289–310.
This is an examination of the experiences of black women in baseball in Southern Ontario during the 1920s-1940s. This article provides unique insight into the experiences of black women in baseball during the 1920s to 1940s and how they fought against discrimination.
Overmyer, James. Queen of the Negro Leagues: Effa Manley and the Newark Eagles. Negro Leagues Centennial, Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2020.
Overmyer provides an in-depth look at her life, from her childhood and early career to her time as an owner in the Negro Leagues and her activism for civil rights. This source offers a detailed look at the life of one of the most influential figures in the Negro Leagues, providing insights into the history of black baseball and the struggles faced by black players and owners during the early 20th century.