MEET NEGRO LEAGUES LEGEND SAM ALLEN
Date: January 15
Days Saturday
Times: 12pm-4:30pm
Location: Portsmouth Art and Cultural Center Art Annex at 420 High Street
Journey back in time to the era of segregated baseball with Sam Allen, who played left field with Negro League teams Kansas City Monarchs, Raleigh Tigers, and Memphis Red Sox before serving with the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division. Allen, a Norfolk resident, is a national treasure joining us to reminisce about his experiences with our national pastime both on and off the field.
Sam Allen, who played left field for Negro League teams Kansas City Monarchs, Raleigh Tigers, and Memphis Red Sox in the late 1950s before serving with the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, will be the kickoff speaker for the Black History Now! 2022 series at the Portsmouth Art and Cultural Center Art Annex at 420 High Street in Portsmouth (adjacent to the 1846 Courthouse at Court & High Streets) on Saturday, January 15th at 1:30 P.M. Admission is free.
Allen, considered a national treasure and a ceaseless spokesperson for the National Pastime and the history of the Negro Leagues, will reminisce about his experiences both on and off the field. “Baseball was king at that time,” the Norfolk resident recalled, in discussing the popularity of the game in mid-20th century Hampton Roads, among both whites and Blacks. “The Negro Leagues were loaded” with talent, he says, emphasizing the high quality of baseball he witnessed in his years playing segregated ball, where so many great players were overlooked.
We are requesting that all attendees ages 2 and up wear a mask while inside the Art Annex building.
This event is part of the 2022 Black History Now! Series presented by the City of Portsmouth’s Department of Museums and Tourism and Library Department. In its seventh season, the series will commemorate African American heritage with events, programs, lectures, family activities, and more. Topics relate to current museum exhibitions and highlight local people and history.
Unless otherwise noted, all events are free and open to the public. Call the Department of Museums and Tourism at 757-393-5258 for more information.