Baseball, Civil Rights and Reconciliation: Day 2 (Jackson, Mississippi)
Campers, Kings players and staff pose for a photo at the end of day two of the John and Vera Mae Perkins Foundation All-Star Baseball Camp (Photo Vaughn Williams)
This cultural exchange was made possible through gracious support from Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream, Ezell’s Famous Chicken and Amazon.
Seattle’s own Baseball Beyond Borders is currently on a four-day trip through the South, which began with a youth baseball clinic in Jackson, Mississippi. Hosted at Jackson State University in association with the John and Vera Mae Perkins Foundation, the clinic brought kids aged 9-18 to learn from the Baseball Beyond Borders Senior Division All-Star Team.
Baseball is a very expensive sport to participate in at a high level and more and more Black children are being priced out of the game. In Seattle, Baseball Beyond Borders provides the opportunity for youth from low-income families to compete at a high level. This trip aims to bring that same opportunity to the youth in Jackson. The experience brings together ballplayers from Seattle and Jackson, with the vision to grow the game in Black communities and inspire a generation.
Today brought the second and final day of the camp, which featured a 60-yard dash and a whiffle ball game in the outfield. Campers and players built on relationships formed on day one, bonding over the shared experience of baseball.
“It’s really amazing to see,” Mariners Legend Dan Wilson said. “You can see how much fun everyone is having.”
When the camp wrapped up, the benefits were clear. Campers, coaches, and Kings players left with smiles on their faces and plenty of inspiration to go around, and the community was left with boxes of new baseball gear for the upcoming season.
9:30 AM
The camp kicked off with stretching and running. Despite the 93 degree heat, everyone had a smile on their face as they took their positions.
A camper warms up prior to day two of the John and Vera Mae Perkins Foundation All-Star Baseball Camp at Jackson State University (photo Che’lon McLennan)
10:00 AM
Every player in camp headed to left field for the 60-yard dash. Players were timed and competition ensued, creating a fun and lively atmosphere for everyone to test their speed.
Players ran the 60-yard dash and their times were recorded, creating a pro-day like atmosphere at Robert Braddy Field (photo Che’lon McLennan)
1:30 PM
Campers returned from a meal of chili cheese fries and were split into groups for drills, and then moved into live gameplay. With a pitcher throwing soft-toss, they hit and ran against the Kings defense.
Two members of the Seattle Kings pose in the outfield after lunch, just before fielding balls hit by campers as part of the live game drills (Photo Che’lon McLennan)
Throughout the day we were joined by members of the Kings as well as Liz Perkins of the John and Vera Mae Perkins Foundation for interviews about their experiences. These interviews will appear in our documentary in the coming months.
2:30 PM
The camp wrapped up with final words from Bookie Gates and Dan Wilson. Final words of wisdom were shared from Kings players to campers and vice-versa as group photos were taken.
The camp gathered for a group photo after hearing some closing advice from Bookie Gates and Dan Wilson. The camp leaders implored the kids to exude passion in everything they do, no matter what it is (Photo Vaughn Williams)
4:00 PM
We were graced with the presence of Dr. John Perkins. The esteemed leader in racial reconciliation and community development spoke about his foundation and the role of the camp in building a thriving community. Be on the lookout for his interview in our upcoming film. We were also joined by Dan Wilson, Priscilla Perkins and Bookie Gates.
Dr. John M. Perkins is a teacher of racial reconciliation and community development. He’s an award-winning author and holds seventeen honorary doctorates from universities around the country (Photo Omari Salisbury)
Tomorrow brings the start of the second half of the trip. We’ll head to Montgomery, Alabama where the Kings will engage with the history and culture of South and the civil rights movement. Stay tuned for updates from the trip and what is sure to be an impactful two days.
Converge Crew
Converge is producing a short documentary on the trip, taking a look at the journey of education and reconciliation as well as the impact of the game of baseball. Be on the lookout for the release in the coming months.
