Those of us who are fascinated by the history of baseball and the contributions of the men who toiled in the Negro Leagues are keenly aware of the despicable social conditions that subjected an entire race to daily indignity. Though we may differ in our assessments of the progress made in reforming those conditions, we can all agree that progress has been made. And, we can all agree that the stagnant ideas and repressive ideologies that sustained racial segregation must be continually re-identified and repudiated. Certainly, just as any medium of communication is susceptible to perversion by the unscrupulous and misanthropic, so may comedy be used as a tool of oppression. But, we must dispense our judgments fairly and be cautious to resist the sin of generalization that played so important a part in the bigotry of old.
Laughter is prized by all people of every race and in every nation.
The honest and benign clown is loved by all and due our respect and appreciation. Though to many of us baseball seems something quite more than mere entertainment, it is, fundamentally, nothing more. America has always appreciated her entertainers, elevated them to a high position in our society and rewarded them with admiration and respect. Now that the respect and admiration so long overdue is in some measure being paid to the baseball players of the Negro Leagues, we will shame no one but ourselves with a severe judgment of the player-clown. He made us laugh at ourselves and with one another.