“From Monarchs to Barons: The Legacy of the Negro Leagues,” in Pasadena

– Courtesy photo

Feb. 24, at La Pintoresca Branch Library

By Terry Cannon

On Saturday, February 24, at 2:00 p.m., the Baseball Reliquary will turn its gaze to the Negro Leagues with a program entitled “From Monarchs to Barons: The Legacy of the Negro Leagues” at the La Pintoresca Branch Library, 1355 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena.  Once again, we turn to author, filmmaker, and photographer Byron Motley, who will discuss the great teams and players of the Negro Leagues, which rose to prominence in the decades before MLB’s integration.  Los Angeles folk singer Ross Altman will join Byron and perform his original compositions “Ballad of Jackie Robinson” and “Civil Rights and Baseball.”  A display of baseball artworks by Bill Cormalis Jr., Tina Hoggatt, and Ben Sakoguchi will also be featured.  For additional information, visit: http://www.baseballreliquary.org/2018/01/monarchs-barons-legacy-negro-leagues-february-24-2018-pasadena-ca/

In celebration of Black History Month, the Baseball Reliquary and the La Pintoresca Branch Library present “From Monarchs to Barons: The Legacy of the Negro Leagues,” a program spotlighting the great teams and players of the black professional baseball leagues – the Negro Leagues – that rose to prominence in the decades before Major League Baseball’s integration.

Author, filmmaker, and photographer Byron Motley will discuss the men and women who made the Negro Leagues both prosperous and exciting, and will explain how the Negro Leagues were more than just about baseball – they were also an integral part of the modern day Civil Rights Movement.

Los Angeles folk singer Ross Altman will perform his original compositions “Ballad of Jackie Robinson” and “Civil Rights and Baseball.” Ross has a Ph.D. in Modern Literature from SUNY Binghamton, and left the classroom for the stage only to turn the stage into a classroom. His baseball songs were released on a CD, The National Pastime (Grey Goose Music), in 2016.

Attendees can also view the Baseball Reliquary’s exhibit (on display throughout the month of February) on Jackie Robinson, Larry Doby, Willie Mays, and others who began their careers in the Negro Leagues and later became All-Stars in the Major Leagues after baseball’s integration. The exhibit features artworks by Bill Cormalis Jr. and Ben Sakoguchi. Also on display will be “Eight Ballplayers from the Negro Leagues,” artist Tina Hoggatt’s suite of linocut and letterpress portraits of African-American baseball icons.

Refreshments will be served. The program and exhibit are supported, in part, by a grant to the Baseball Reliquary from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission.

For further information, contact the Baseball Reliquary at (626) 791-7647 or the La Pintoresca Branch Library at (626) 744-7268.

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