Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in New Jersey. Robinson made history at Roosevelt Stadium, located in Jersey City, on April 18, 1946, when he played in the minor leagues for the Montreal Royals (Brooklyn Dodgers) against the Jersey City Giants in an International League game.

This event marked the first time that a Black baseball player had played in integrated baseball in more than six decades, thus breaking the color barrier. Robinson homered for the Royals in this historic game.

There were many ballparks in New Jersey that held Negro League baseball games. Specifically, Hinchliffe Stadium, located in Paterson. The stadium was the home of several teams, including the New York Black Yankees of the Negro Leagues 1933-1937 and 1939-1945. The facility was also used for professional football games as the home for the Paterson Giants and the Silk City Bears.

Negro League stars that played in MLB and Hinchliffe Stadium include Larry Doby, Monte Irvin, Josh Gibson and Roy Campanella. Other notables included Martin Dihigo, Oscar Charleston and Ray Dandridge.

Hinchliffe Stadium is one of only three major original Negro League ballparks still standing today. Hinchliffe is the first National Historic Landmark that honors baseball.

Racial segregation settled into baseball in the late 19th century. Major and minor-league owners in 1887 adopted a "gentleman's agreement" - an unwritten rule that prohibited Blacks from playing organized baseball.

Denied the chance to play for no other reason than their skin color, Blacks formed their own traveling teams, and ultimately, the Negro Leagues, whose players during the 1920s through 1940s were as good as the best in MLB. Jackie Robinson and Larry Doby broke baseball's color barrier in 1947, integrating America's favorite pastime.

The New York Black Yankees were a professional Negro League baseball team based in New York City; Paterson; and Rochester, New York. Beginning as the independent Harlem Stars, the team became the New York Black Yankees in 1932 and joined the Negro National League in 1936, and remained in the league through 1948.

The New York Black Yankees were founded by the famous dancer and Hollywood actor, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, as well as financiers James “Soldier Boy” Semler and M.E. Goodson. They played at Hinchliffe Stadium in the 1930s-1940s, as well as Yankee Stadium.

Famous New York Black Yankees included Satchel Paige, “Fats” Jenkins, Bill Holland and George "Mule" Suttles (HOF 2006).