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- Some Black baseball history for MLB's Opening Day
Some Black baseball history for MLB's Opening Day
Plus, street medicine treats L.A.'s unhoused and our new In Living Color series
Shwetha Ganesh
March 30, 2023
Hey, y'all — I'm baaaaack. I was out on vacation, and low-key, the world kind of burned for a couple of weeks (hence the hiatus). But, that means we have hella news for you, so scroll on down for the latest.
Happy reading,Shwetha
FEATURED STORY
by Peter Dreier | Community Contributor
Curt Flood played 15 seasons in the majors. (Credit: Associated Press)
Let's play ball!
This week marked the beginning of Major League Baseball season. A local professor and prolific baseball researcher shared the story of a ballplayer to whom all modern-day pro athletes owe a debt of gratitude.
First of all, who is Curt Flood?
Curt Flood was a Black center fielder who sacrificed his career in Major League Baseball when he helped sue the league over the reserve clause in players' contracts. Umm...what's the reserve clause? This limited players' contracts to one season, where teams “reserved” the right to “retain” the player for the next season. This left players without any leverage to negotiate better deals.
The MLB players' union (MLBPA) had basically no power for most of Flood's career, but that changed when they hired Marvin Miller in 1966. Miller was previously the steelworkers union’s chief economist and negotiator, so he knew his stuff. Miller negotiated the first-ever collective bargaining agreement in pro sports, but his greater achievement came from his work with Flood.
The MLB commissioner refused to let Flood renegotiate his deal after the 1969 season. Flood was being forced to relocate from St. Louis playing for the Cardinals to Philadelphia with the Phillies. So, MLBPA filed an antitrust and workers' rights lawsuit against the MLB. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court. The justices sided with MLB (which is not exactly a shocker given the era). The lawsuit blacklisted Flood from ever playing professional baseball again.
What is Curt Flood's legacy?
In 1975, Miller found a loophole in the reserve-clause language that didn’t require going to court. He persuaded two pitchers to play an entire season without signing contracts. When the season ended, they filed grievances, claiming the right to free agency because their teams had no contract to renew. Later that year, the court ruled in favor of the players, finally ending the reserve system.
Pro athletes who have made big career moves through free agency, even in sports aside from baseball (we're looking at you Dwayne Wade and LeBron James), have Miller and Flood to thank. The duo drastically improved players’ wages, benefits, pensions and working conditions: better per diem allowances, improvements in travel conditions, better training facilities, locker room conditions, and medical treatment.
Wait...so why isn't Curt Flood in the Baseball Hall of Fame?
For decades, baseball players and fans have been calling for Flood's introduction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Ironic considering that Miller has already been inducted, although anti-union owners and executives fought against that decision for years. The campaign for Flood's induction has gained so traction from politicians and players' unions from other pro sports leagues.
With America's escalating struggle against systemic racism and an upsurge in labor activism, Flood's recognition would highlight a massive achievement in the fight for racial justice.
by Eliza Partika
Care teams from nonprofits, hospitals and medical schools provide treatment and preventative care that address the whole person, meeting them where they are. (Eliza Partika/AfroLA)
Jen Elizabeth helps run the nonprofit Sidewalk Project's street medicine clinic. On Sundays, she hands out care items, food and medicine to clients, many of whom are trans sex workers, on Skid Row. In addition to the basics, she offers makeup and lotions, helping people feel good and whole as a person. Local university hospitals and medical schools, including UCLA, USC and Cedars Sinai, also provide community-based care that expands medical and behavioral health services for people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles. These services are critical, especially for the historically-marginalized LGBTQ+ and Black communities, who are disproportionally affected by systemic discrimination in health care.
We hate to ask, but we genuinely cannot do our work without your support. We really see the value of what we're highlighting in our community, and we hope you do too. If you enjoy our content and want to support local organizations, please consider donating to AfroLA 💞 We will love you forever. Seriously.
by Tiffany BrownWe don't always see adequate representation in the arts of Blackness or disability, let alone both. As National Disability Awareness Month comes to close, we're looking back at our interview with three Black actresses, two who identify as deaf or hard of hearing, and one who does not, in English and American Sign Language. They told us about their experience performing as/with deaf artists, performing Shakespeare as Black women, and what it all means for the Black community.
(Plus: Check out our first video content 🤪)
A NOTE ON OUR CONTENT
Sometimes we republish content from other mission-signed news outlets to supplement our own coverage. We have limited resources, but we want to keep you updated on the most important news regarding the L.A.'s Black community. At the top of our republished content, you'll find a box called "AfroLA's Take," where we explain why we chose to share that particular story with our audience.
Here are some articles we republished this week that we think deserve a read from Mother Jones and Capital & Main:
WHAT'S NEXT?
Next week, we're launching In Living Color, a multi-platform storytelling series created for and by Angelenos. We’re showcasing the vibrant tapestry of experiences of life in L.A. by amplifying unique voices, views, and perspectives.
Our first episodes are a collaboration between AfroLA and journalism students at Da Vinci Communications High School in El Segundo.
👀 Be on the lookout for our first episode, Is There Space for Black Women In Feminism? DVC senior Kamryn Washington.
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