In fact, according to Left Out by Adrian Burgos Jr., there needs to be a revision when it comes to baseball's racial history. Too frequently stories are told about baseball's history that minimizes the impact and contributions of Afro-Latinos.
"The lack of recognition black Latinos receive as contributors to, and
beneficiaries of, the legacy of black baseball reveals how lines have been
drawn within popular understandings and within the historical literature ("Left Out")."
I feel that this is such a sad reality because people of color are constantly being swept under the wrong as if the struggles that they overcame is not of importance to the progress of their people. I had never even thought about the fact that Afro-Latinos were a huge part of desegregation in regards to professional sports. But apparently, Latinos had been integrated into Major League Baseball even before African Americans or more specifically Jackie Robinson. I personally am sick and tired of people of color being overlooked when they are the reason much of history we study today is what it is.
"Among those left out, Buck O’Neil drew the most notice. O’Neil’s endearing personality, homespun storytelling style, and tireless work on behalf of the Negro Leagues helped spark a revival of popular interest in black baseball history. His lack of bitterness made him the symbol of the Negro Leagues for countless Americans and assuaged the guilt of many about the national pastime’s Jim Crow past ("Left Out")."
Works Cited
Burgos, Adrian Jr.. "Left Out: Afro-Latinos, Black Baseball, and the Revision of Baseball’s Racial History." Social Text 98 • Vol. 27, No. 1 • Spring 2009. Duke University Press, 2009. Web. 7 May 2012.
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