Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Spring 2020

Abstract

Imagine being a 14-year-old kid doing a project for history about a topic you enjoy. My group and I decided to research the history of baseball, but more specifically, the history of the Negro League. A league that solely for Black baseball players because of segregation. We decided to reach out to San Antonio native John “Mule” Miles who played in the Negro League from 1946-1949, about a possible phone interview. One day, while in math class, my history teacher pulled my group and me out of class because Miles dropped by our school and wanted to do the interview in person. We got the opportunity to interview and talk with a professional ball player. Our project included other Negro League greats such as Jackie Robinson, Josh Gibson, Satchel Paige, and many more. Players that John Miles competed against and made friends with. It felt unreal that Miles came to our school and wanted to do the interview in person. Doing that small action shows the kind of character he had. Examining the life of John Miles gives us insight into how he was able to find stability and success in the midst of Jim Crow era, discrimination within the segregated world of Black baseball.

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