Friday, Oct 4, 2013
Exhibit will be Part of Rider's Unity Days 2013 Celebration
by Rider Sports Information and Kristine A. Brown
In celebration of Rider University’s 2013 Unity Days, The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum’s Traveling Exhibit, “Discover Greatness,” will make a stop on the Lawrenceville campus beginning Wednesday, October 16 at 5:30 p.m. The exhibit features approximately 90 framed photographs showcasing the history of African-American Baseball from the late 1800s to the 1960s. Also, Rider will host a panel discussion during the opening ceremony with Pedro Sierra, a former Cuban player in the Negro Leagues; Bob Kendrick, Chair of the NLBM; and Barry Davis, Rider University’s Head Baseball Coach. Special guest, Sharon Robinson, daughter of legendary baseball great Jackie Robinson, will speak on Thursday, October 17 at 7 p.m. in the Bart Luedeke Center Theater. All events are free and open to students, faculty and the public.
Unity Days, held annually in October, traditionally brings Rider students, faculty and staff together to celebrate all the diverse elements that make up the Rider community. Pamela Pruitt, Director of Multicultural Affairs at Rider, said, “This year’s theme in Multicultural Affairs describes social justice issues surrounding sports and entertainment. We want to give our students and others the opportunity to hear first-hand that the journey to ‘here and now’ wasn’t as easy as it may seem. Having this exhibit, and our speaking guests, visit Rider University is truly a treasure.”
A lecture on Social Justice Issues in the History of Sports, dealing primarily with baseball and basketball, will be given on Thursday, October 17 at 11:30 a.m. in Sweigart Auditorium. Rider’s head basketball coach Kevin Baggett, along with author Michael Long and historian Dr. Larry Hogan, will be on the panel. Long wrote Beyond Home Plate, Jackie Robinson on Life and Baseball.
In addition to the NLBM exhibit and the guest speakers, a screening of the movie “42” will take place on Sunday, October 13 at 7 p.m. in Yvonne Theater, and on Wednesday, October 16 at 3 p.m. and Thursday, October 17 at 3 p.m. in the Bart Luedeke Center Theater.
The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, a not-for-profit organization, is based in Kansas City, MO. The exhibit is divided into five sections: Pre-1900: The Beginnings of Black Baseball; 1901-1919: The Great Independents; 1920-1931: A League of Their Own; 1932-1946: Heyday; and, 1947: The Color Line Falls. It will be on display in Rider’s Student Recreation Center Seminar Room from Wednesday, October 16 through Thursday, November 7.
Students and staff who would like to attend the Opening Reception or to view the exhibit must call the Office of Multicultural Affairs at (609) 895-5781.
