Seventy-Fifth Anniversary of the Integration of Major League Baseball

MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

MAKES NOTE OF THE SEVENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 1947 INTEGRATION OF MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

Jackie Robinson Joe Black Morgan State College, Class of 1950

Morgan State University joins the nation in celebrating the integration of Major League Baseball on April 15, 1947. We remember the courage and tenacity of Jackie Robinson, and his determination to blaze a trail to ensure that athletes of color would have the opportunity to distinguish themselves in mainstream professional sports.

Morgan State University also remembers one of her faithful sons, Joe Black, a member of the Class of 1950. A teammate of Robinson, Black joined the Brooklyn Dodgers on May 1, 1952. Black was the first African-American pitcher to win a World Series Game, on October 1, 1952 against the New York Yankees.

Today, as we observe and celebrate our Spring 2022 Commencement Exercises, we are reminded of our ancestors who persisted against insurmountable odds to attain full citizenship and greater participation in the United States of America. We recommit ourselves to continuing our role in the struggle.