The feats and names of baseball’s Negro Leagues stars are legendary: Satchel Paige, James “Cool Papa” Bell, Josh Gibson, and more. But what was it like for them to play—and for fans to watch them?

The story of Negro League baseball is more than a history of sports, says Louis Moore, a professor of history at Grand Valley State University: It is a story about American society. He explores how and why baseball became Black America’s game; how the rise and fall of the Negro Leagues paralleled the cultural tides of American life; and what the inclusion of the leagues’ stats into those of today’s Major League Baseball means for the past and present players.

General Information

• View Common FAQs and Policies about our Online Programs on Zoom.