Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021. The holiday commemorates the day, 158 years ago, when enslaved African Americans were fully emancipated. Even though the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect a couple of years prior, it was not implemented in territories controlled by the Confederate. It was only until June 19, 1865, that an order by Major General Gordon Granger proclaimed freedom for all enslaved people in Texas.
Today, professional sports leagues commemorate the holiday with the day off, including the NFL, the NBA, and the NHL. Major League Baseball (MLB), however, remains active on this day.
As a lifelong baseball fan, legendary rapper, Chuck D of Public Enemy, holds a special place in his heart for the game. Throughout his music career, he’s written songs referencing the sport, and the MLB has even used his music on special occasions. In a recent interview I came across, Chuck D shared the moment he recalled the MLB inverting its logo on Juneteenth – making it black and white, as their way of honoring the holiday.
Chuck D went on to say that he believes it was the right move in the right direction for the MLB. Even three years later, he believes the league has finally made efforts to not only acknowledge their Black fans but to engage with them.
“The MLB is trying to figure it out. You know, teamwork in baseball, as far as Black folks were concerned, was our biggest outlet. Especially talking (about) the national pastime, which was, like, baseball, hot dogs, apple pie – and a little bit of racism.” – Chuck D
Despite making progress, the MLB still lacks in diversity, especially when only 6.1% of players on Opening Day were Black – the lowest number since 1955 USA Today). Like many companies who are looking to bolster their diversity, equality, and inclusion strategies, the MLB created programs like RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities), which “provide baseball and softball opportunities for young people in underserved communities.”
