Unity: Baseball's Role

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.

FIESTA ROJOS

The Reds celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month with their annual Hispanic Community Night, “Fiesta Rojos,” on Friday, Sept. 20 featuring activities in the community and ceremonies at Great American Ball Park.

Students from local schools were invited to visit the P&G MLB Cincinnati Reds Youth Academy for a baseball clinic, Q&A session with Reds Hispanic players, salsa dancing and lunch. Later that evening at the ballpark, many of the pregame and in-game ceremonies featured members of Cincinnati’s Hispanic community including including the national anthem singer, altafiber Hometown Hero and Kroger First Responder of the Game. Nicholas Castro, Assistant Dean of Inclusive Excellence in the Lindner College of Business at the University of Cincinnati, received the Hispanic Heritage Community Advocate Award presented by PNC. In addition, the Reds held their traditional “Parade of Colors” presentation of the flags.

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.

The Reds will join with Major League Baseball and organizations around the world to support Spirit Day on Thursday, October 17, 2024. 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!