Another View: Baseball and Racism

WHRO | By Barry Graham

Published June 7, 2024 at 3:01 PM EDT

Of the more than 900 professional baseball players in the MLB, why are there only 57 black players? That's 6% of players across the league's 30 teams. Thats down from 2023's 6.2% and it's the lowest it's been since 1991 when blacks made up 18% of professional players. Black kids play little league, but the disconnect begins in high school and college. why is that happening? Also, a local high school forfeited its season after charges of hate speech, harassment, and racism surfaced. Looking at racism and baseball on this edition of Another View, now available on demand.

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Barry Graham

Barry Graham used to arrive at WHRO with a briefcase full of papers and lesson plans. For 32 years he taught US and Virginia Government in the Virginia Beach Public Schools. While teaching was always his first love, radio was a close second. While attending Old Dominion, Barry was program director at WODU, the college radio station. After graduating, he came to WHRO as an overnight announcer. Originally intending to stay on only while completing graduate school, he was soon hooked on Public Radio and today is the senior announcer on WHRV. In 2001, Barry earned his Ph.D in Urban Studies by writing a history of WHRO and analyzing its impact upon local education, policy and cultural arts organizations.

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