A little more than 75 years ago, Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball's major leagues with the Brooklyn Dodgers. But integration in the South was slow going and took a slightly different path. This week, we look at what it took to integrate Southern baseball and how one group in rural North Carolina is ensuring that the next generation of young Black ballplayers get a chance at bat. Featuring: Brian Patterson, COO of the Buck Leonard Association Chris Holaday, historian and author of Cracks in the Outfield Wall: The History of Baseball Integration in the Carolinas Rose Hunter, Co-founder of the Buck Leonard Association Special thanks to the Durham Bulls for letting us record gameday audio at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Links: Find out more about the Buck Leonard Association here. You can find a transcript of the episode here. Donate: The Broadside is made possible by contributions from listeners like you. Support WUNC-North Carolina Public Radio and this podcast by making a donation.
