'Black History On Screen': Revisiting the Impact of the Negro Baseball League

Black History Month is not just a time to honor those who fought for the benefit of African Americans. It can also be a time to learn new things about the past and give them respect in the modern era. This month, The Suffolk and the Riverhead Anti-Bias Task Force are doing just that with the second installment of “Black History On Screen.”

This year’s showcase will be “The League,” the 2023 documentary that tells the story of the Negro Baseball League that featured iconic players including Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and others. Directed by Academy Award nominee Sam Pollard, “The League” highlights how the Negro Baseball League impacted the civil rights movement and built popularity despite the rise of segregation during that era. Through archival footage and interviews, it brings to light the stories of legendary players and the community’s resilience during the Jim Crow era.

It’s a timely topic to revisit since Major League Baseball incorporated the statistics of more than 2,300 Negro League players from 1920 to 1948 into its records in May of 2024. Hamptons residents can attend the screening at The Suffolk free of charge on Friday, February 21 at 7 p.m.

Mark McLaughlin, chairman of the Riverhead Anti-Bias Task Force, said earlier this month that he was “very excited” to be showing the movie not only as a means of celebrating Black History Month, but also as a longtime baseball fan. He said that he first heard about “The League” from a lawyer friend who helps grandchildren of Negro League players manage their ancestors’ estates.

“I think [“The League”] is gonna inform people like how I got informed that certain things weren’t recognized and show the humble beginnings of some of these players and highlight their excellence and what they were able to achieve while not being included in certain areas when it comes to major sports,” he added. “I’m so fascinated and impressed with the resiliency they had to keep on doing what they were doing knowing that they weren’t getting the notoriety that other players were getting. That speaks in measures to me, like ‘Where did you get that kind of courage and strength?’”

This is the second annual “Black History On Screen” event at The Suffolk. McLaughlin explained that the focus of the inaugural showcase last year was criminal justice and those wrongfully accused, and the film shown was the 2019 drama “Just Mercy,” a dramatization of the story of Walter McMillian. Played in the movie by Oscar-winner Jamie Foxx, McMillian was an Alabama man convicted of killing a woman in 1986 and had his conviction overturned in 1993 after it was proven an alleged witness lied on the stand and the prosecution had illegally suppressed evidence.

McLaughlin said that “Black History On Screen” is a collaborative effort between the Riverhead Anti-Bias Task Force and The Suffolk. He specifically credits The Suffolk’s Executive Director Gary Hygom, for coming up with the series with him.

“We had these discussions that people could watch something during Black History Month — or just in general — and have a nice experience,” McLaughlin explained. “We both appreciate film so as soon as we spoke about it, it was like lightbulbs going off in both of our brains. He’s been so kind to not only give us the theater to make this happen, he’s OK with it being free to the public because we just want to have a nice community event where we show appreciation for our locals and they can enjoy a great evening with a great film.”

“In my past, if I celebrated something like [Black History Month], I’d tend to gravitate towards music,” Hygom said in an interview earlier this month. “I’ve done a lot of film and [Mark] thought, ‘Well, maybe we could show a film of some kind,’ and we were off. I feel like this may be a nice catalyst to recognize Black History Month.”

That education not only comes from the film itself, but also the post-screening discussion. Last year’s event featured Suffolk County Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr., Riverhead Town Supervisor Tim Hubbard and Task Force Vice Chair Megan O’Donnell. This year’s screening of “The League” will feature opening remarks by retired Major League Baseball pitcher Dwight Gooden and a post-screening discussion on the sports theme with Super Bowl champion Gary Lee Brown, baseball historian Fabio Montella, Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame President Chris R. Vaccaro and Adelphi University Women’s Basketball assistant coach Kia Wright.

“This year, I think people are going to be encouraged and inspired by these players, but it’s also going to showcase local athletes as well,” McLaughlin said. “I think it’ll be a great place for people to network and engage. Rooms like the one we’re gonna have, it’s needed more.”

While the series is a one-night-only event, McLaughlin and Hygom hope to expand the community outreach from both of their organizations. McLaughlin stressed that the Riverhead Anti-Bias Task Force is available for anyone who reaches out to them for help. Hygom hopes to start a “Conversation With…” series with special guests discussing important topics in front of the community.

Hygom is also planning more programs merging art and education via an upcoming community production of the Reginald Rose play “12 Angry Men” and he hopes to invite students from several Long Island schools to performances featuring post-show conversations with local judges on the legal system.

“There seems to be a lot of confusion about how juries work in light of everything that’s been going on in the world,” Hygom added. “There’s a mistrust on what is fair. Up until now, the theater hasn’t really done a lot of educational pieces for theater or music or film. I’m passionate about those projects, so it’ll be a part of who we are going forward.”

“People are going to be entertained by seeing athletics in these great men, but I believe when you sit down and hear these stories, the educational part will be very informative,” McLaughlin said of “The League.” “It’s a film full of great stories.”

The second annual “Black History On Screen” presents “The League” at The Suffolk on Friday, February 21, at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and admission is free, but tickets must be reserved at thesuffolk.org. The Suffolk is at 118 East Main Street in Riverhead.