By: Kiara Alfonseca
Reggie Jackson, a Major League Baseball legend and National Baseball Hall of Famer, openly recounted the racism he encountered while playing in Alabama, expressing, “I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.” During a Negro League tribute game at Rickwood Field in Bir-mingham, where he joined other Black baseball stars, Jackson refl ected on the hardships he faced, including being subjected to racial slurs and denied service in restaurants and hotels because of his race.
“It was tough,” Jackson shared on a Fox Sports pregame show, recalling incidents where he was singled out with derogatory language. He described an unsettling encounter at a country club dinner hosted by the Kansas City A’s owner, Charlie Finley, where he was initially barred entry until Finley intervened and insisted they leave for a more accepting place.
