Sports
Obama Honors Negro League Players at White House
by Perry Green
Special to the NNPA from the Afro-American Newspaper
President Barack Obama hosted a special meeting with former Negro League players and representatives at the White House on Aug. 5 to honor their contributions to the nation’s history, civil rights, and professional baseball.
“Well first of all, let me just say, what an honor it is to have you all in the White House, I think everybody knows that I’m a pretty big sports fan, and I think that anybody who knows the history of the Negro Leagues knows that it was important not only because some great baseball was played, that you saw folks like Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson display unbelievable athletic talent, and many of the gentlemen who are here today, but it also changed our culture,” Obama said during the meeting.
“You gave opportunities for the African American community to feel pride about their athleticism and it slowly opened the doors for opportunities in the future.”