He described difficulty traveling with teammates due to signs reading 'No Negroes Allowed'.
Jackson faced intense racism at hotels and restaurants, with some establishments refusing to serve him due to his race.
MLB Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson shared experiences of racism and discrimination while playing baseball in the South.
MLB Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson shared poignant stories of racism and discrimination he faced while playing baseball in the South during a live television appearance at historic Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama. Jackson, who played for the Birmingham A's, the Double-A affiliate of the Kansas City Athletics, in 1967, was one of only a few Black players on his team. He experienced intense racism at hotels and restaurants and even faced threats of violence against his teammates.
Jackson recalled how some establishments refused to serve him due to his race. He described the difficulty of going through different places where they traveled, stating that he would walk into restaurants and be met with signs that read,
Reggie Jackson faced discrimination while playing baseball in the South, including being denied service at restaurants and hotels because of his race.
Returning to Birmingham was ‘not easy’ for Reggie Jackson due to past experiences of racism.
Reggie Jackson played for Birmingham at Rickwood Field and other ballparks in the South during his time with the Athletics' organization before they moved to Oakland.
Reggie Jackson was one of the only Black players on his team in 1967.
MLB Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson shared memories of experiencing racism while playing at a historic baseball stadium in Alabama.
Reggie Jackson spent several nights a week for many weeks sleeping on his White teammates’ couches until they received threats to ‘burn their apartment complex down’ if he didn’t leave.
Reggie Jackson and several of his Birmingham teammates, including Rollie Fingers and Joe Rudi, saved him from getting into physical confrontations with Southern racists.
Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson shared stories of racism and discrimination he faced as a young Black ballplayer during a live television appearance at Rickwood Field.
Reggie Jackson found himself in the Deep South for the first time after growing up in Pennsylvania and going to college at Arizona State. Alabama in 1967 was a different place.
Jackson was threatened with violence and faced racial epithets and taunts during his time in Birmingham. He credits his teammates and manager for helping him through it.
Approximately 181 members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum played at Rickwood Field, including Charley Pride, a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, who played for the Black Barons in 1954.
Masyn Winn, the lone Black player in either starting lineup for Thursday’s game between the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals, spoke about growing up playing on a team called the Negro League Legends and feeling emotional about playing on the same field that some of those players played on.
Reggie Jackson spoke to MLB on FOX Crew before the Rickwood Field game.
Reggie Jackson played at Rickwood Field as a minor league player in 1967.
Jackson shared his experience with racism and discrimination while playing in Birmingham.
Johnny McNamara, Jackson’s AA manager, helped him get through difficult situations by finding alternative accommodations and food options.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(85%)
The author, Josh Wilson, includes several quotes from Reggie Jackson that contain instances of racial slurs. While these quotes accurately reflect the experiences and language used during the time period in question, they also constitute an appeal to ignorance and a use of inflammatory rhetoric. By including these quotes without contextualization or commentary, Wilson is relying on the shock value of the language to elicit an emotional response from readers rather than engaging in thoughtful analysis or reflection. This approach can be seen as a form of sensationalism and manipulation, which lowers the overall quality and objectivity of the article.
"I walked into restaurants and they would point at me and say, 'the n----- can't eat here.'
“I went to a hotel and they say the n----- can't stay here. We went to Charlie Finley's country club for a welcome home dinner and they pointed me out with the N word... Finley marched the whole team out, finally they let me in there.”
Bias
(5%)
The author, Josh Wilson, includes multiple instances of the N-word in direct quotes from Reggie Jackson's interview. While these quotes are not the author's own words and are meant to convey Jackson's experiences with racism during his time as a minor league player in Birmingham, they still demonstrate a lack of sensitivity and an unnecessary use of inflammatory language.
"I walked into restaurants and they would point at me and say, 'the n----- can't eat here.'
"I wouldn't wish it on anyone. At the same time, had it not been for my white friends, had it not been for a white manager... I would have never made it."
"We went to Charlie Finley's country club for a welcome home dinner and they pointed me out with the N word...
