MLB Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson Opens Up About Racism at Alabama’s Rickwood Field
Returning to Alabama’s Rickwood Field brought back painful memories for MLB Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson, who shared his experiences with racism during a recent appearance on a Fox Sports pregame show.
Jackson, who played at Rickwood Field in the minor leagues in the late 1960s, described the racism he faced during that time as “not easy.”
“The racism when I played here, the difficulty of going through different places where we traveled … I wouldn’t wish it on anybody,” he said.
He recounted instances where he was denied entry to restaurants and hotels, threatened with arson, and subjected to racial slurs.
“I walked into restaurants, and they would point at me and say, ‘The n—– can’t eat here.’ I would go to a hotel, and they would say, ‘The n—– can’t stay here,'” Jackson recalled. “We went to [Kansas City Athletics owner] Charlie Finley’s country club for a welcome home dinner, and they pointed me out with the N-word: ‘He can’t come in here.’ Finley marched the whole team out.”
Despite the discrimination he faced, Jackson expressed gratitude for his teammates who stood by him during those challenging times.
Fortunately, I had a manager in Johnny McNamara that, if I couldn’t eat in the place, nobody would eat. We’d get food to travel. If I couldn’t stay in a hotel, they’d drive to the next hotel and find a place where I could stay,” he said.
Jackson also reflected on the Baptist Street Church bombing in 1963 in Birmingham, where KKK members bombed a Black church and killed four Black girls. He expressed his readiness to physically fight back against the racism he encountered, even though it could have resulted in his own harm.
The MLB tribute to the Negro Leagues, which was created due to segregation and racism in the sport, also honored baseball legend Willie Mays, who started his career with the Birmingham Black Barons at Rickwood Field in the 1940s. Mays passed away shortly before the tribute at the age of 93.
Jackson’s candid revelations shed light on the enduring impact of racism in sports and society, highlighting the importance of acknowledging and confronting these injustices.