ports and African Americans. (Wilson, pg. 8 - 9) If it weren't for African Americans, and the Negro Leagues, we wouldn't have some of theinnovations and techniques that we see today in the game of baseball. For one, they providedtremendous moral support to African Americans in the communities and around the UnitedStates. The "black teams played games, and provided heroes to black youth." (Conrads, pg. 6) Never before had African American youth had role models and people they could have looked upto because of the segregation and Jim Crow laws that had sustained much power at this time. Nomatter what race, a role model gives the youth a reason to succeed in life, and not beoverwhelmed from the promises of the street. Other than giving the African American youth arole model to look up to, it also gave the African American population "sources of pride, focus,and identity for the African American communities." (Segregation in Baseball: Internet) Becauseof their proven victorious status, playing "445 - recorded games against white teams, winning 61percent of them," it gave the African American community something to speak of at the dinnertable so to speak. (Conrads, pg. 8) Now they had something to call their own, and it wassomething that was proven to be a success in more ways than one.Other than providing a sense ofpride, and establishing role models for the African American community as a whole, the NegroLeagues also constructed an opportunity for African Americans during this time. Before this,African Americans could only hold certain positions in the community; very low positions at that,which only paid a limited amount of money. On the contrary, they now had the opportunity toget paid more than any other job would offer them, since Jackie Robinson had paved the way forother African Americans to be converted into the MLB. Although they would be paidsubstantially less than their counterparts, they most often made enough to support...
