February 23, 2016
The theme of this year's Black History Month is "Hallowed Grounds: Sites of African American Memories." The baseball field pictured above, known as Southside Park, was one of the home fields used by the Winston-Salem Pond Giants, the town's most prominent black baseball team. Events that typically drew the largest attendance were the Saturday double headers when teams from the Negro National League came to town and picnics were held on the grounds between games. At a time when seating was segregated under Jim Crow, typically the right field line bleachers at the park were designated as the "Negro" section; however, the majority of the crowd at these events was African American and the general seating became "Negro" with provisions made for a smaller white section. Legend has it that Babe Ruth and Jackie Robinson (who broke the color barrier in baseball in 1947) played on this field where the Film School now sits. After a fire destroyed the old wooden grandstand in 1955, minor league teams moved to the newly constructed Ernie Shore field on University Parkway, but the Southside field remained in use by local ball clubs, residents of surrounding neighborhoods and Gray High School.
View of Southside field in 1940 | Digital Forsyth
2016 Black History Month theme | Association for the Study of African American Life & History
African American History Month | Library of Congress
Black History and Culture | Google Cultural Institute
Forsyth County Public Library NC Room
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Special thanks to Fam Brownlee at the Forsyth County Public Library NC Room
Time Capsule no. 23 written by Nate Nihart, Library Systems Assistant