SABR’s annual Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference was held on Thursday, July 20 to Sunday, July 23, 2023, in Detroit, Michigan.
The conference was highlighted by a tribute to Turkey Stearnes with his daughters Rosilyn Stearnes-Brown and Joyce Stearnes; and a Negro Leagues and Civil Rights Panel with Lisa Alexander, Phil S. Dixon, David Goldberg, and Gary Gillette.
Attendees enjoyed visits to the Wright Museum of African American History, a Meet & Greet Reception at Hamtramck Stadium, and a Detroit Tigers vs. San Diego Padres game at Comerica Park.
Presentations were given by Samantha Boelter, Tyrone Brooks, Nick Di Natale, Robert Fitzpatrick, John Graf, Clem Hamilton, Chris Hansen, Francis Harte, Jay Hurd, Sherman Jenkins, William H. Johnson, Thomas Kern, Mitch Lutzke, Michael Marsh and Michael Pifer, Alex Painter, and Claudia Caplan Wolff. Click here to view the full conference schedule.
Click here to view a photo gallery at Flickr.com, with photos by James Brunson III, Scott Carter, Al Davis, Phil S. Dixon, Leslie Heaphy, and Mitch Lutzke.
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.
Essay Contest
SABR’s Negro Leagues Research Committee is pleased to award $1,000 scholarships to four high school seniors in its 15th annual Thomas R. Garrett Scholarship essay contest in 2023.
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. Click here to learn more.
Art Contest
The 13th annual Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference Art Contest is open to all artists in 2023. 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. Questions can be directed to Leslie Heaphy (Lheaphy@kent.edu).
- Professional and Amateur categories: Click here to download a PDF application form. Entry fee: $30 for up to three submissions. Theme: “The World of Black Baseball.” Deadline to apply is July 30, 2023.
- Youth category: Click here to download a PDF application form. Entry fee: $10 for up to three submissions. Theme: “Black Baseball Triumphs.” Deadline to apply is September 11, 2023.
Dick Clark Memorial Library Grants
SABR’s Negro Leagues Research Committee will award two $500 Dick Clark Memorial Library Grants for 2023. 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.
Please email a completed application, including a letter of support, to Leslie Heaphy (Lheaphy@kent.edu). Click here to download an application (PDF)
