The Montgomery Biscuits, Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM), and the City of Montgomery announced today they have entered into a partnership to create a museum exhibition within the historic train station on the first base side of Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery, Alabama. The annex will tell the stories of Negro Leagues players, teams, and influential members through art, storytelling, and digital features.
Throughout the exhibit, visitors of all ages will be able to immerse themselves in memorabilia and digital archives that will share the stories and history of both Negro Leagues baseball and the impact baseball played in the Civil Rights Movement. The exhibit will include videos and interviews shared by players, coaches, leaders, and the President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Bob Kendrick.
“The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is one of the nation’s most preeminent Civil Rights and Social Justice institutions, that is seen through the lens of baseball,” said Bob Kendrick, President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. “We are thrilled to team with the Biscuits to bring this story of triumph over adversity to beautiful Riverwalk Stadium to enlighten and inspire a new generation of fans. The birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement is a perfect location to highlight the important role Negro Leagues Baseball played in helping usher in the Civil Rights Movement.”
Montgomery, Alabama is known as the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement and attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors annually specifically to visit civil rights historical sites. The Montgomery Civil Rights Tour includes powerful stops such as the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, Dexter Parsonage Museum, Rosa Parks Museum, and Freedom Rides Museum. Visitors can also reflect at the Civil Rights Memorial Center (SPLC), the Legacy Museum and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice (both operated by the Equal Justice Initiative), and the Freedom Monument Sculpture Park. Other historically significant sites include First Baptist Church on Ripley Street, Holt Street Baptist Church, and the City of St. Jude Historic District.
“The new museum exhibit is a welcome addition to our city and Negro Leagues baseball is an important piece of Montgomery’s civil rights history,” said Montgomery Mayor Steven L. Reed. “We look forward to welcoming fans and tourists to the ballpark as part of our historic Montgomery Civil Rights Tour.”
The exhibit will highlight some of the greatest and most influential baseball players of all time, including Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, and Satchel Paige, all born in Alabama. Plaques, memorabilia, casework, murals, and art will highlight teams, players, and historical figures that all made an impact on baseball in Montgomery.
"We are thrilled to partner with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and the City of Montgomery on this historic addition to not only our ballpark but Minor League Baseball,” said Lou DiBella, CEO and Managing Member of the Biscuits. “We are proud to shine a light on Montgomery’s rich baseball history while helping amplify the expansion of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City and its mission to preserve and share stories that are essential to the American experience.”
About the Montgomery Biscuits
The Montgomery Biscuits are the Class AA Affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, and operate out of Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery's Downtown. Opening in 2004, Riverwalk Stadium was built into a historic train depot and was a catalyst for the revitalization of Downtown Montgomery.
About the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM) is the world’s only national museum dedicated to preserving and celebrating the rich history of African American baseball and its impact on the social advancement of America. The museum opened its doors to the public in a tiny, one-room office space in 1991 with a dream of building a permanent facility that would pay rightful tribute to America’s unsung baseball heroes. In November of 1997, under the leadership of its late chairman John “Buck” O’Neil, that dream became a reality when the NLBM moved into its new 10,000 square-foot home inside a cultural complex know
