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Black sports history part of Juneteenth celebration in New Rochelle

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A celebration of Juneteenth through sports took place on a sunny June Saturday afternoon in New Rochelle’s Lincoln Park and Pool.

Players gathered in the northeast corner of the park surrounded by friends and loved ones and took turns tossing horseshoes, which was the main attraction of the celebration, along with celebrating contributions of well-known Black athletes and less known accomplishments.

The Gathering of Men, Inc. collaborated with The Lincoln Park Conservancy, Inc. to host the Juneteenth Sports History Event and Horseshoe Tourney. A tournament host, Walter Brown, the president of The Gathering of Men, Inc., put together a detailed sports history exhibit featuring photos, news clippings and historical facts meticulously hand-written onto canvases.

The exhibit highlighted the contributions of well-known Black athletes, like Serena and Venus Williams, Muhammad Ali, Gabby Douglas and Tiger Woods. Lesser-known facts were a major component of the exhibit, too. Brown included facts about Black athletes from prior generations like tennis player Althea Gibson and gymnast Ron Galimore, and described the history of Black people in specific sports like hockey.

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“One (fact) stands out. I didn’t know that because the Black hockey players at that time (the late 1800s) could not play with white people, they developed their own leagues,” Brown said. “They actually had Black hockey leagues before the National Hockey League (NHL).

“Then, when they wanted to play with white folks, white folks said, ‘No, you’re not playing with us.’ So it became basically a sport for wealthy white people because they had access to hockey rinks and the equipment.”

According to his research, Brown said, the NHL didn’t permit Black players until 1958, when Willie O’Ree became the first Black NHL player.

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One of the highlights — of course — was the horseshoe tournament, which proved to be both a fierce competition and a space to commune. So when the players gathered Saturday, the joy was palpable: players talked smack and barbecued in between taking turns throwing horseshoes and perusing the sports history exhibit that lined the fence.

“We are so friendly and competitive. But it’s love,” said Ora “Missy” Flowers, who says she’s known as “Hot Hands” on the courts for all the “ringers” she throws.

“I don’t talk smack,” Flowers said. “I start off slow. And then I throw eight ringers in a row.”

At the end of the day, though, this event was all about joy and community, much like this year’s “resilience” theme for the month-long series of Juneteenth events organized by The Lincoln Park Conservancy, Inc. and its partners.

“We need to motivate one another to be the best we can be and be the best for our community,” Brown said. “That’s what, to me, this year’s Juneteenth represents.”

To learn more about the many Juneteenth events happening in this area this week and beyond, check out lohud’s Juneteenth list.

Samantha Antrum is the community news and outreach reporter for The Journal News/lohud. She reports on cultural and social justice issues and events, with a focus on BIPOC and underrepresented communities. You can reach her at santrum@lohud.com.

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