Negro Baseball League celebrates its centennial

The community is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the creation of the Negro National League in Kansas City.

The African-American professional baseball league was established during meetings in February 1920 at the Paseo YMCA at 18th and Vine and flourished for about 30 years.

100 Years after the creation of the Negro National League, A Century of Change celebrates the impact of black baseball in Kansas City. Kansas City PBS - KCPT, Kansas City

The history of African-American baseball is recounted in the new KCPT documentary film A Century of Change.

Other events are planned by the Negro League Baseball Museum located in the historic 18th and Vine District. The museum is dedicated to preserving and celebrating the rich history of African-American baseball and its impact on the social advancement of America.

LINC has also celebrated the individual accomplishments of players associated with the Negro League.

LINC helped published a book about Buck O’Neill by Garcia Elementary students. For the school’s Hero Project students studied the lives of Kansas City residents. In 2006 the students studied O’Neill, creating posters, the book, and the music video Give It Up for Buck.

In 2006, students in Stacy Plum's first grade class at Primitivo Garcia Elementary wrote and illustrated a book about the life of baseball legend John "Buck" O'Neil. They also wrote a catchy song to go with the book and made this music video showing their talents. If you would like a copy of "Give It Up! The Story of John ‘Buck’ O'Neil," contact LINC at (816) 889-5050.

LINC also has partnered annually with the Black Archives of Mid-America and the Kansas City Public Library to produce booklets and posters about African American leaders. The project has now shared over 70 stories.

Two of those subjects include African-American baseball players Charles Wilber Rogan and Satchel Paige, who both played for the Kansas City Monarchs.