WooSox to Support Juneteenth June 17 through June 26
WORCESTER, MA – The Worcester Red Sox will celebrate Juneteenth (June 19) with a series of sponsorships and presentations over 10 days, starting this Saturday, June 17, and continuing through Monday, June 26. The holiday, established in 2021, commemorates the date that the last of America’s slaves were freed in
WORCESTER, MA – The Worcester Red Sox will celebrate Juneteenth (June 19) with a series of sponsorships and presentations over 10 days, starting this Saturday, June 17, and continuing through Monday, June 26. The holiday, established in 2021, commemorates the date that the last of America’s slaves were freed in 1865.
The WooSox are a sponsor of Worcester’s Black Heritage Juneteenth Festival this Saturday, June 17, at Institute Park, from noon-8 pm. In addition, mascots Smiley Ball and Woofster the WonderDog will be on hand from 2-3 p.m. to play with children, take pictures, and sign autographs.
The WooSox are also a sponsor of a free Negro Leagues Baseball Museum Exhibit in Boston that debuts Monday, June 19 at 10 a.m. Joining the Boston Red Sox, Boston Public Library, the Office of the Arts at Emerson College, as well as a host of community partners, the exhibit, “Barrier Breakers: From Jackie to Pumpsie,” will include a panel discussion Monday evening, July 26, at 6 p.m. with longtime Boston Globe writer and author Ben Bradlee, Jr. and WooSox President Dr. Charles A. Steinberg. A series of speakers, including former Red Sox star Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd, will participate in the exhibit, which runs through August 4 on Emerson’s campus, 118 Boylston Street in Boston.
On Tuesday, June 20, the WooSox begin a six-game homestand at 6:45 p.m. with a pregame Juneteenth celebration that culminates with postgame UniBank Fireworks set to the music of “Motown and More.” Former Boston Red Sox outfielder (2010-2012) Darnell McDonald will be at Polar Park to meet fans, take photos, and sign autographs in the Sherwood’s Diner on Summit Street. Tickets for that game and all WooSox Summer Games are on sale at woosox.com, by calling 508-500-8888, or at the Polar Park Ticket Office.
The Unity Radio Choir will perform the Black National Anthem, and civic leaders will be honored for presenting Saturday’s festival and for creating Worcester’s Major Taylor Museum that opened in the fall of 2021. Among the honorees are City Councilor Krystian King and community leaders Ernie Floyd and Charles Luster.
On Saturday, June 24, the WooSox will sponsor Worcester’s Black Music Festival from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. at City Hall. The WooSox Foundation’s Care-A-Van Presented by Bank of America will visit, as will foundation staff members.
In addition to these initiatives, the WooSox have a permanent Negro Leagues Tribute and portrait of Jackie Robinson in Polar Park’s DCU Club. Tours of the ballpark, recently voted “Best Ballpark in Triple-A Baseball,” include visits to these tributes. The ballclub also celebrates Robinson’s birthday each January 31, the Eve of Black History Month, with a presentation to Worcester Public School children. In 2023, the WooSox also sponsored a presentation at the Worcester Public Library from the Negro Leagues Museum about the life of beloved barrier breaker Buck O’Neil, whom WooSox Chairman and Principal Owner Larry Lucchino, along with Steinberg, knew personally.
“Barrier Breakers” tells the story of the Negro Leagues and the strong-willed, dedicated athletes who refused to accept the notion that they were unfit to share in the joys of the national pastime. The exhibit shares the stories of players who integrated Major League Baseball teams, from Jackie Robinson joining the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 through to Elijah “Pumpsie” Green completing the integration cycle 12 years later with the Red Sox.
The exhibit will be on display from June 19 through August 4 at Emerson College, and available to the public seven days a week from 10 a.m. through 5 p.m. Groups looking to schedule a visit can call Meet Boston at (617) 867-8218.
Besides the WooSox, community supporters of “Barrier Breakers: From Jackie to Pumpsie” include the Boston Children’s Museum, Red Sox Foundation, Boston Police Department, Suffolk County Sheriff's Department, CVS, Boston Area Church League, Cheers of Boston, Roberto Clemente 21 Sports Program, Viola Goodman Sports Program, Carter American Legion Post (Dorchester), Trinity Church of Boston, Greater YMCA, Black Nativity of Boston, Boston Praise Radio, Boston Parks and Recreation, Massachusetts Jurisdiction Church of God in Christ, The Eliot Congregational Church, The Cathedral Church of Saint Paul, Good Shepherd Church of God in Christ, Saint John Paul II Catholic Academy, The Bay State Banner, El Mundo Boston, and Dorchester Reporter.