Chuck Styles honors Willie Mays and Negro League History with MLB at Rickwood Field

 
When I received the email from MLB to be apart of one of the most historic moments in MLB History by honoring the Negro League and some of its memorable players I couldn’t refuse. This event would take place at the oldest baseball field in the country and home to many Negro League Legends, Rickwood Field in Birmingham, AL, also home to the Birmingham Black Bears.

The works would include portraits of Negro League founder Rube Foster, Josh Gibson, Satchel Paige, Toni Stone, and the hometown hero and GOAT Willie Mays. These player towers would be featured upon entry of Rickwood Field adorned with stats and information for attendees to soak in and learn.

On Tuesday night as our plane landed in Birmingham from Philadelphia, I open up my phone to see the unfortunate and devastating news of Willie Mays’ passing. On a week in which we would celebrate his legacy and Juneteenth, turned into a week of also mourning. He was to be celebrated with a large scale mural in the heart of Downtown Birmingham presented by TMobile and MLB. I had the honor of unveiling the mural alongside CEO of the San Francisco Giants Larry Baer and Mayor of Birmingham Randall Woodfin.

I will forever be thankful for the opportunity to be apart of such a grand and monumental moment, providing a mural of one of the greatest players and men to ever play the game of baseball, and help continue to tell incredible black stories through art.

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