The City-Wide Juneteenth 2009 Celebration Committee is composed of various individuals and organizations. This year, included in the event outline, is a special commemoration game in tribute to the Negro Baseball League on Saturday, June 20th, at 4:00 p.m. on the Greenwood Field.  Oklahoma's own professional NFL athlete and Booker T. Washington graduate, Rueben Gant, CEO of the Greenwood Chamber of Commerce in Tulsa, Oklahoma is leading this effort. Tulsa's own Mayor Kathy Taylor will toss the first pitch for the game! 

He is challenging all Black Athletes from Oklahoma’s High Schools and Universities to participate in this special commemoration game.  Taking a look back on our rich history we want to re-enact "The Golden Years of Black Baseball." 

On a Historical Note: 

"When Gus Greenlee organized the new Negro National League in 1933 it was his firm intention to field the most powerful baseball team in America. He may well have achieved his goal. In 1935 his Pittsburgh Crawfords lineup showcased the talents of no fewer than five future Hall-Of-Famers - Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Cool Papa Bell, Judy Johnson and Oscar Charleston.

While the Crawfords were, undoubtedly, black baseball's premier team during the mid-1930s, by the end of the decade Cumberland Posey's Homestead Grays had wrested the title from the Crawfords, winning 9 consecutive Negro National League titles from the late 1930s through the mid-1940s. Featuring former Crawfords stars Gibson and Bell, the Grays augmented their lineup with Hall-Of-Fame talent such as that of power-hitting firstbaseman Buck Leonard.

Baseball's color barrier cracked on April 18, 1946 when Jackie Robinson, signed to the Dodgers organization by owner Branch Rickey, made his first appearance with the Montreal Royals in the International League.

After a single season with Montreal, Robinson joined the parent club and helped propel the Dodgers to a National League pennant. Along the way he also earned National League Rookie of the Year honors.

 Robinson's success opened the floodgates for a steady stream of black players into organized baseball. Robinson was shortly joined in Brooklyn by Negro League stars Roy Campanella, Joe Black and Don Newcombe, and Larry Doby became the American League's first black star with the Cleveland Indians. By 1952 there were 150 black players in organized baseball, and the "cream of the crop" had been lured from Negro League rosters to the integrated minors and majors.

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The Negro National League disbanded after the 1949 season, never to return. After a long and successful run black baseball's senior circuit was no longer a viable commercial enterprise. Though the Negro American League continued on throughout the 1950s, it had lost the bulk of its talent and virtually all of its fan appeal. After a decade of operating as a shadow of its former self, the league closed its doors for good in 1962.  It is time to remember "The Golden Years of Black Baseball."

You may indicate which team and player you would like to commemorate below. We are asking each person to donate $25.00 or more. The donation will be used for a commemorative shirt and funding for this event.

Your Name: __________________________

Email: _____________________

Address: _______________________________

Phone: ___________________

Team: The Monarchs _____       The Philadelphia Stars______

Position______________________    Donation Amount $__________

Thank you for your participation!

Make checks payable to:  Greenwood CDC

Mailing to: P.O. Box 52193, Tulsa, OK 74114

For more information email: cmtworkshop@yahoo.com or rgant@greenwoodchambertulsa.com or Call Mary L.Williams at 918-852-6314