#ThrowbackThursday - The Reconciliation Tour Road Trip
Two years ago, Converge Media partnered with Baseball Beyond Borders on a trip through the South to document the BBB 18u team’s journey through baseball, civil rights, and reconciliation. The result was an Emmy-nominated film capturing the both the spirit of the game of baseball and the connection of youth to the history that came before them. This film is set for a special, commercial free airing on FOX 13 Seattle at 9:30 pm on October 26th as part of #ConvergeSuperSaturday ahead of an all-new episode of Back2Besa at 10:30 pm.
Today, we take a look back at that trip and some of the moments which led to the film.
DAY 1 - JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI
Day one of the trip off kicked off 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.
“It’s really incredible to see our kids out here teaching,” Bookie Gates, founder of Baseball Beyond Borders, said. “I also know our kids will learn something as well.”
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.
The day began with a speech from Mariners legend and current manager Dan Wilson. Wilson spoke to the youth about his time with baseball, as well as the impact the sport can have on community.
The team also took a guided tour of the Jackson State University campus, which included stops at the basketball arena, the “horseshoe”, and the memorial to the innocent, unarmed JSU students killed in the 1970 shooting by the Mississippi State Police. They then closed out the day by taking on the Jackson 96’ers, a local select team from the area. In a thrilling, extra-innings comeback, the Kings won 10-9.
DAY 2 - JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI
Day 2 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.
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 appear in the Reconciliation Tour film.
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. We were also joined by Dan Wilson, Priscilla Perkins and Bookie Gates.
Day 3 - SELMA & MONTOMERY, AL
Day 3 of the Baseball Beyond Borders trip through the South took us out of Jackson, Mississippi and moved East to Alabama. After a quick stop in downtown Jackson, we hit the road. A stop in Selma took brought us to the Edmund Pettus Bridge, the site of Bloody Sunday as well as other famous marches. We then travelled to Montgomery, where the team watched a Montgomery Biscuits game (the AA affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays).
This day of the trip began the second half, which focused on engaging with the culture and reconciling with the past. It was a day of both celebration and reflection, truly an educational and impactful experience.
We arrived in Selma, Alabama to see the Edmund Pettus Bridge. The bridge was the site of Bloody Sunday, one of the most tragic battles of the Civil Rights movement. We also stopped at the historic Brown Chapel AME Church, which is currently undergoing repairs. It was the site of meetings with leaders including Martin Luther King Jr and John Lewis and is where the marches from Selma originated.
Later in the day, the Baseball Beyond Borders Kings arrived in Montgomery and attended a Montgomery Biscuits game. The Biscuits are the double-a affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays and were playing the Biloxi Shuckers, affiliated with the Milwaukee Brewers. The game went to extra innings, but was suspended in the top of the tenth inning due to rain.
DAY 4 - MONTGOMERY, AL
Day four of the Baseball Beyond Borders trip through the South was one of the most impactful. The team visited the Equal Justice Initiative’s Legacy Museum, which tells the story of slavery in great detail as well as the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, which lists the names of individuals who were lynched throughout American history. They also were graced by the presence of Anthony Ray Hinton, who spent 30 years on death row for a crime he did not commit. Hinton spoke about forgiveness and love, a powerful message made more poignant by his experiences.
The final day of the trip also brought reflection, as members of the Kings program as well as us at Converge looked back on a truly remarkable experience.
The team headed to the EJI’s Legacy Museum, a truly unique museum which presents an in-depth and impactful history of enslaved people in the United States. Many of the players were speechless at the information and imagery presented to them, engaging with the devastating history of our nation in a way few had experienced before.
The Kings also visited the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, where the names of over 4,000 victims of lynching are preserved on stone slabs. This experience truly brought to life the scale of the racial terrorism that was commonplace in the country for the first half of the 20th century. In the National Memorial for Peace and Justice Center, the team met Anthony Ray Hinton. On death row for 30 years after being wrongfully convicted, Hinton told his story with patience and grace. He emphasized the value of forgivness, while pushing for change within the justice system. He warned of the dangers the system presents, especially to Black males.
The final day of the trip was a truly memorable experience and an impactful note to end what was an incredible four-day journey. The themes of reconciliation and education ran strong, and the lessons and emotions felt will not be forgotten.