Each February, the Reds join the celebration of Black History Month to honor the accomplishments of African-Americans throughout history. In Reds Country, this is the perfect opportunity to salute the contributions of so many talented Black players to the rich tradition of Reds baseball.
Unity: Baseball's Role
The Cincinnati Reds partner with Major League Baseball on a number of programs and initiatives throughout each season that promotes diversity and inclusion.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
JACKIE ROBINSON DAY - APRIL 15
April 13 & 14: High School Baseball & Softball Teams wearing “42” jerseys at the Reds Youth Academy,
The Skyline Chili Reds Futures High School Showcase presented by Cincinnati Children’s Sports Medicine & Orthopaedics celebrated Jackie Robinson Day on April 13 & 14 by hosting Cincinnati Public Schools baseball and softball teams. In honor of Robinson, all baseball and softball players wore “42” jerseys provided by Nike.
April 17: HBCU Baseball Game at the Reds Youth Academy
HBCU schools Wilberforce University and Kentucky State University will play in the annual Joe Morgan Classic on Wednesday, April 17 at 1 p.m. at the P&G MLB Cincinnati Reds Youth Academy in Roselawn. Players from both teams will wear authentic replica Negro Leagues jerseys and will receive custom baseball cleats from Nike.
April 19: Reds Players at Woodward High School
Reds pitcher Hunter Greene and outfielders Will Benson and Bubba Thompson are scheduled to visit Cincinnati Public School’s Woodward High School on Friday, April 19 to speak to the baseball and softball teams about their journey to the major leagues.
April 19: Jackie Robinson Day at Great American Ball Park
The Reds will celebrate Jackie Robinson Day on Friday, April 19 at Great American Ball Park (vs. Los Angeles Angels, 6:40 p.m.) with pregame ceremonies and a fan giveaway.
- Throwing out a ceremonial first pitch will be Cincinnati Cyclones hockey team head coach Jason Payne, one of the two Black head coaches of the ECHL. The Cyclones made history on March 30 when Black players Landon Cato, Elijah Gonsalves, Jalen Smereck,
- Kyle Bollers, and Josh Burnside took the ice as the starting lineup.
- Members of the AACE LLC ownership group, Reds shareholders since 2005, will be recognized during pregame ceremonies. The AACE group was one of the first Black ownership groups in American sports history.
Fans in attendance will receive a Jackie Robinson Baseball Card, presented by LifeCenter.
LOU GEHRIG DAY – JUNE 2
On Friday, June 2, the Reds will join all of Major League Baseball to celebrate the third annual “Lou Gehrig Day” in honor of the late Hall of Famer. June 2 was specifically chosen as the date to honor each year as it’s the date Gehrig became the Yankees starting first baseman, thus cementing the start of his incredible streak of games played, as well as the day he passed away from complications of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known now as “Lou Gehrig’s disease.” Lou Gehrig Day is aimed at remembering his legacy and all those lost to the disease, raising awareness and funds to fight ALS and celebrating the groups and individuals who have led the pursuit of a cure.
Lou Gehrig Day this year is highlighted by a special Zac Brown Band Post-Game Benefit Concert 4-ALS presented by The Ohio Lottery. A portion of the proceeds from every ticket sold will benefit the Hop On A Cure Foundation to fight ALS. The foundation was started by band member John Driskell Hopkins after he was diagnosed with ALS and supports research toward a cure for ALS while raising awareness and hope for those battling the disease.
HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH
FIESTA ROJOS
The Reds celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month with their annual “Fiesta Rojos” on Friday, September 22 with activities in the community and ceremonies at Great American Ball Park. Students from local schools visited the P&G MLB Cincinnati Reds Youth Academy for a Q&A session with Reds players, baseball clinics, salsa dancing and lunch.
When the Reds hosted the Pittsburgh Pirates that evening, many of the pregame and in-game ceremonies featured members of Cincinnati’s Hispanic community including the national anthem, Hometown Hero, First Responder, the Hispanic Community Advocate Award presented by PNC, and others.
NEGRO LEAGUES HISTORY
On Sunday, August 30, 2020 the Reds celebrated the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Negro Leagues. The Reds were originally scheduled to join with Major League Baseball and the 29 other teams to honor the Negro Leagues on August 16, but their game against the Pirates was postponed due to COVID-19. Recognizing the importance of this centennial, the Reds quickly moved to reschedule their celebration for August 30.
As part of the activation, players wore special anniversary patches on their uniforms for the game, the anniversary mark appeared on base jewels and lineup cards, pregame videos and graphics were shown throughout the ballpark, and cardboard cutouts were placed in the stands featuring some of the important figures of the Negro Leagues, specifically from the Queen City’s own Cincinnati Tigers. A couple other cutouts in the stands included two groundbreaking players: Jackie Robinson and Chuck Harmon. Robinson, who was celebrated on Friday night, was the first African American in the Major Leagues and paved the way for others like Harmon, the first black player to take the field for the Reds.
When he became the club’s first African American player in 1954, it was clear Chuck Harmon’s name would always be a part of Reds history. However, Chuck’s legacy goes far beyond that thanks to his decades of service to the Cincinnati community and his love for Reds baseball.
SPIRIT DAY
The Reds will join with Major League Baseball and organizations around the world to support Spirit Day on Thursday, October 19, 2023. Spirit Day is a worldwide, largely social media-based effort to take a stand against bullying, and especially against actions targeting LGBTQ youth. Bullying, in all its forms, has become an epidemic in our communities, our schools, and on social media. Those who identify as LGBTQ experience a disproportionately higher rate of bullying and harassment than any other group.
For Spirit Day, the Reds encourage fans to “go purple” in support of this initiative by posting photos and positive messages on social media tagged with #SpiritDay and using a Spirit Day virtual background or other imagery when applicable. We hope you will continue to encourage your friends, family and co-workers to participate in what has become the largest and most visible anti-bullying campaign in the world!
WHY IT MATTERS
- 70% of LGBTQ students report being verbally harassed
- 7 out of 10 LGBTQ students experience harassment while at school
- 59.5% of LGBTQ students report feeling unsafe at school
- 29% of LGBTQ youth have experienced homelessness, been kicked out or run away
- 1 in 3 LGBTQ youth reported that they had been physically threatened or harmed in their lifetime due to their LGBTQ identity
- More than 50% of transgender and non-binary youth have seriously considered suicide
Statistics courtesy of GLSEN and The Trevor Project.