Talk with writer Matt Jacobson, William Robertson Coe Professor of American Studies & History and ER&M Chair
Directed by award-winning documentary filmmaker Gaspar González and written by Matthew Jacobson, A Long Way from Home: The Untold Story of Baseball’s Desegregation chronicles the struggles and triumphs of the pioneering black and Latino players who followed Jackie Robinson into white professional baseball, often playing minor-league ball in small, remote towns where racial segregation remained a fact of life well into the 1960s.
The documentary features original, revealing interviews with James “Mudcat” Grant, Grover “Deacon” Jones, Jimmy Wynn, J.R. Richard, Tony Pérez and Orlando Cepeda. These former MLB stars endured challenges linked to racism on and off the field to pursue their big-league dreams – and in doing so, played a significant (and, until now, underappreciated) role in making America’s pastime truly open to all.
Thursday, October 12, 2017 - 11:45am
Gordon Parks Seminar Room (201)
81 Wall Street
New Haven, CT