Changemaker 23: Andrew Rube Foster

Today’s changemaker is Andrew “Rube” Foster, who was born in Calvert, Texas in 1879. Foster began playing baseball professionally by age 18, but would have a career that would eventually earn him a title as “the father of Black baseball.” He pitched for a string of semipro and professional baseball teams between 1897 and 1917, eventually founding and managing the Chicago American Giants, which would quickly become one of the most successful African-American baseball teams during the segregation era.

As a manager, Foster emphasized a strict code of conduct and implemented a unique playing style to fit the dimensions of his home field in Chicago. Under his instruction as a teacher and mentor, several of his players eventually became successful managers themselves.

Most notably in his career, Foster co-founded and led the National Negro League (NNL) as its president, the first organization of its kind for professional Black baseball players. The NNL ran from 1920 until 1931, when it closed due to the Great Depression.

#DouglassWeek #changemakers #bethechange #DW2022 #countdown #socialjustice #racialjustice #racialequality #athlete #civilrights #blackhistorymonth #ushistory #antislavery #blackathletes #frederickdouglass #blackBaseball