Save the date!
SABR’s 26th annual Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference will be held on Thursday, June 18 to Sunday, June 21, 2026, in Memphis, Tennessee. Registration information will be available on this page in early 2026. All baseball fans are welcome to attend.
2026 Call for Papers
In addition to two days of research presentations and player/author panels, attendees will also enjoy special presentations connected to our theme of “Black Baseball in the Land of the Delta Blues” and the city of Memphis. This interdisciplinary conference welcomes proposals for oral and poster presentations from all research fields. Previous presenters have included college faculty, public school teachers, graduate students, and independent scholars.
Presentations may focus on any topic related to the theme, or other Black baseball topics. Some possibilities include the Memphis Red Sox, Terry “harmonica” Bean, Laurel Black Cats, Cool Papa Bell, Jackson Cubs, Hattiesburg Blacksox, Dan Bankhead, Blues and baseball, Charley Pride and much more. Proposals should include a 250-word abstract, plus a brief biographical note with contact information. For poster presentations, please indicate the number and size of posters you wish to display.
Please email your proposal as a Word attachment to Dr. Leslie Heaphy at Lheaphy@kent.edu before March 2, 2026. Or send via traditional mail to Leslie Heaphy at: KSU at Stark, 6000 Frank Rd, North Canton, OH 44720.
About the Conference
The Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference promotes activities to enhance scholarly, educational, and literary objectives. Since 1998, the event has been the only symposium dedicated exclusively to the examination and promotion of Black baseball history. The conference is open to baseball and history fans of all ages.
Each year, monies are targeted to donate books to schools or libraries; raise funds for the Negro Leagues Baseball Grave Marker Project; and award scholarships to high school seniors in a nationwide essay contest and an annual art contest. The Negro Leagues Committee is one of SABR’s original committees, formed in 1971. It has continued to preserve and highlight the contributions of African-American players in baseball history.
The committee published the landmark The Negro Leagues Book in 1994, which featured a complete register of more than 3,000 players, team rosters and in-depth histories from leagues of the late nineteenth century to the middle of the twentieth.
Yoseloff Scholarship
With generous funding from The Nanar and Anthony Yoseloff Foundation, Inc., SABR will award up to 4 scholarships to high school or college students to attend the 2026 Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference. This scholarship will pay for registration, transportation and lodging (double occupancy) up to a total value of $1,250. Students must be currently enrolled in a high school, college undergraduate or graduate program, and be between 18 and 29 years of age at the time of the conference. Stay tuned for application information in early 2026!
Essay Contest
SABR’s Negro Leagues Research Committee is pleased to award $1,000 scholarships to high school seniors in its 18th annual Thomas R. Garrett Scholarship essay contest in 2026.
The contest is open to high school seniors and carrying a minimum GPA of 2.5 at the end of their junior year. Students have to write a 1,200-word essay answering a question related to one of the Negro League figures who are the namesakes of the scholarships. Stay tuned for application information in early 2026!
Art Contest
The 17th annual Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference Art Contest is open to all artists in 2026. Art from the winners will be on display at an upcoming Jerry Malloy Conference. The winning entry in the professional and amateur categories will receive a $150 prize and a certificate from the conference. The youth winner will receive a set of art supplies. Photos of the art will also be included in an upcoming issue of Black Ball: A Negro Leagues Journal, published by McFarland & Co. Stay tuned for application information in early 2026!
Dick Clark Memorial Library Grants
SABR’s Negro Leagues Research Committee will award two $500 Dick Clark Memorial Library Grants for 2026. School and community libraries from across the country are invited to submit grant proposals centering on educating students and the community about black baseball and American history. Stay tuned for application information in early 2026!
