Presented by the Greenwich Historical Society, Greenwich YMCA, and YWCA Greenwich
Join the Greenwich Historical Society, Greenwich YMCA, and YWCA Greenwich in this community event that explores the historical significance of the Negro Leagues and how this history relates to the present day. This program features a discussion and Q&A session, moderated by author Kostya Kennedy, with filmmaker and Emmy nominated director Lauren Meyer, who will share more about the making of the film and connect the past to what’s happening today as inspiration for the future. This discussion will follow a screening of The Other Boys of Summer, a documentary about racism, segregation and civil rights in America, told through the lives of the Negro League baseball players.
This program will share a triumphant story of passion and perseverance, and will connect our history to today’s headlines through the lens of America’s pastime. The critically acclaimed film features never-before-seen interviews with unsung civil rights trailblazers who played alongside of Jackie Robinson and changed the game and America forever.
You’ll meet humble and gracious civil rights pioneers who changed America by pursuing their dreams in this triumphant story of resilience in the most unlikely of situations. Baseball players are known as “The Boys of Summer”, but prior to integration and Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier, there was another group of baseball players, playing in their own league. They played in The Negro Leagues. This was a high level, professional baseball league made up of players who were not allowed to play in the white league. The Negro National League was chartered on February 13, 1920 by Rube Foster in KC.
To learn more about the film, visit https://www.theotherboysofsummer.com/
Funding for this project is made possible by the State of Connecticut and the National Endowment for the Humanities, both of which provide significant support to Connecticut Humanities.
Kostya Kennedy is an editorial director at Dotdash Meredith, overseeing special editions under LIFE, People, EatingWell, Real Simple, Health, Entertainment Weekly and other brands. The editions embrace a range of topics including pop culture, health and wellness, food, lifestyle, music, and pets. He is a former assistant managing editor and senior writer at Sports Illustrated. He has been a staff writer at Newsday and has written for The New York Times, Time, FiveThirtyEight.com, The Huffington Post and The New Yorker.