Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Demise Of African American Participation In Baseball: A Cultural Backlash From The Negro Leagues, David C. Ogden

Communication Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

Sixty years ago baseball was a major business and cultural force for African Americans. But the end of the Negro Leagues and the desegregation of baseball heralded a new era that marked the beginning of a cultural drift between baseball and African Americans. This paper will explore the social factors embedded in the Negro Leagues that gave baseball cultural relevance for African Americans and what is impeding those factors from operating again.