By Gary A. Johnson – Black Men In America.com

June 21, 2024

Hall of Fame baseball player, Reggie Jackson, was an honored guest at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama for a special Negro Leagues game and tribute.

When a FOX Sports commentator asked how it felt to be back at the field where he played baseball in the 1960s, Jackson, still harboring painful memories of that time period spoke about his experiences.  I bet you no one at the round table expected Jackson to be that honest about what he faced as a player during that time period.  Kudos for FOX for not interrupting Mr. Jackson.  He has earned the right to tell his TRUTH.  He lived it and it still hurts.  I’ve watched that interview segment six times and I felt the pain each time.

“Coming back here is not easy. The racism when I played here. The difficulty of going through different places where we traveled. I wouldn’t wish it on anybody.”

Watch and listen.

You don’t have to be a fan of Reggie Jackson to admire his courage for speaking the truth.  “Mr. October,” as he was called during the latter part of his career, played 114 games for the Birmingham team.  He then played for the Kansas City Athletics and became an icon with the Oakland A’s and the New York Yankees winning five World Series titles.

Reggie Jackson retired as a 14-time All-Star and made the Baseball Hall of Fame on the first ballot.

Gary Johnson is the Founder and Publisher of Black Men In America.com, an online news and magazine, Black Boating and Yachting.com and several other online sites.  Gary is also the author of the book “25 Things That Really Matter In Life,”:  A Quick and Comprehensive Guide To Making Your Life Better—Today!, and a contributing author to “The Black Father Perspective: What We Want America To Know,” and “In Search of Fatherhood – Transcending Boundaries: International Conversations on Fatherhood.“ 

In 2019, Gary developed a line of spices under the name of “MasterChef Gary’s Premium Organic Seasoning.” 

In 2021, Gary launched a motivational website and one-on-one interview talk show called “Calculations Talk Show.“ 

In 2022, Gary became a strategist for a group of Black farmers (Justice For Black Farmers) and launched a website and podcast in support of Black farmers.  He also launched another website and podcast to debate current news and information from a multi-generational perspective featuring 3 hosts.  That show and website is called “The Thought Brothers.” 

In 2023, Gary shifted his focus from training and consulting to public relations and social media and launched Gary Johnson Media, LLC.

In 2024, Gary launched “Gary’s Weight Loss Journey,” a motivational website detailing his years long struggle with weight to help others get and stay motivated to lose weight.  For information about Gary Johnson and his passions and businesses, visit his official website at Gary Johnson Media.