Great Plains Black History Museum

For several years, the Great Plains Black History Museum in Omaha has highlighted the enduring impact baseball players of color had on the game itself — at a local level, and across the world.

As Eric L. Ewing — the museum’s executive director — pointed out, segregation stopped many great Negro League ball players from competing in the major leagues. Advertisement

“If you know Babe Ruth, you should know the person who broke his record, but a lot of people don’t,” Ewing said.

The reference is to Henry “Hank” Aaron, who first played in the Negro leagues and then moved to the majors.

Other legends like Joshua Gibson, Ewing said, never got the chance.

“A lot of people don’t know that there was never a written rule prohibiting African Americans from playing in the major leagues, but it was an unwritten rule,” Ewing said.

A walk through baseball’s history opens the door to conversations about civil rights, equality and racial injustice. “When you have those open and honest conversations, then that’s when you start moving the ball,” Ewing said.

Inside the museum off North 24th Street, visitors can now soak in the new exhibit, “A League of Our Own: The Negro Baseball League Exhibit.”

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