Baseball expert and Emeritus Professor of Religious Studies Joe Price was interviewed on 89.3 KPCC’s Air Talk, during a special segment that looked back and recognized the Negro Leagues—professional baseball leagues established in 1920 comprising of teams predominantly made up of African American players.
Acknowledging the challenges they faced while under laws of segregation—which didn’t allow African Americans to join the major league teams—Price explained the players’ devotion and love for the game.
“The game itself provided a release—a playful element—that enabled them to survive with great joy,” said Price during the interview.
Click here to listen to the full interview on KPCC’s website.
Co-founded by Price, the Institute for Baseball Studies at Whittier College installed an exhibit that recognized the centennial of the founding of the Negro Leagues by Rube Foster during Black History Month. The institute houses the Baseball Reliquary’s research collection which includes books and periodicals, the papers of distinguished baseball historians and journalists, and a variety of materials that support multifaceted and interdisciplinary studies at Whittier College. It is open to the public on Fridays from 1 to 5 p.m. and by appointment on other days.
