Downtown in Pensacola in Escambia County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
The Pensacola Jaycees 1955 Little League Baseball Team
Photographed by Nicolas Rausch, September 10, 2024
1. The Pensacola Jaycees 1955 Little League Baseball Team Marker
The 1955 Pensacola Jaycees was the first Black Little League team to compete against a white team in the segregated South. Known as the Pensacola Negro team, the Jaycees became Northwest Florida's Little League champions after regional white teams refused to play. The Jaycees sparked state-wide controversy when they entered the Florida Little League Championship in Orlando, forcing city officials to check state and city rules to determine if the Black team could play. State Little League officials cleared the Jaycees to play. On August 9, 1955, the Jaycees met the Orlando Kiwanis at a crowded Optimist Park where hundreds of white and Black spectators filled the bleachers. After a well-played game, the Kiwanis triumphed, 5-0. A few days later, famed sports reporter Sam Lacy wrote, "the Pensacola youngsters didn't last long in the playoffs at Orlando, being eliminated in the first round. But that's not important. What is important is that they played." Despite their loss. the Jaycees bravely bridged a divide at a time when racial segregation defined the South. During a time of segregation, 27 little leaguers integrated
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The 1955 Pensacola Jaycees
Coach Nathaniel Black Freddie Augustine Percy Boykins Cleve Dailey Admiral LeRoy Jr. Richard Morris Jr. Willie V. Robinson Willie Stromas Coach Fred Hicks Pesslean Brye Clyde Charlie Robert East Harim McFarland Willie Preyer Phillip Stewart
The 1955 Orlando Kiwanis
Coach Mel Rivenbark Randy Cooper Billy Dyer John Fly Bobby Hickey Bill Hudson Johnny Lane Jimmy Slade Coach Bob Gould Jerry Cowart Gary Fleming Stewart Hall Ronnie Homan Gary Jenkins Danny Rivenbark David Smith
Erected 2023 by City of Pensacola, UWF Historic Trust, and the Florida Department of State. (Marker Number F-1216.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Sports. A significant historical date for this entry is August 9, 1955.
Location. 30° 24.285′ N, 87° 13.201′ W. Marker is in Pensacola, Florida, in Escambia County. It is in Downtown. It is on South De Villiers Street south of Whibbs Drive, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address:
Photographed by Nicolas Rausch, September 10, 2024
2. The Pensacola Jaycees 1955 Little League Baseball Team Marker
Regionally, this marker is on the Florida Panhandle. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, and on the Gulf Coast. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: "Gloucester of the Gulf" (within shouting distance of this marker); A History Shaped by Hurricanes (within shouting distance of this marker); Archaeology in a Maritime Community (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Site of Panton Leslie & Co's (approx. Ό mile away); St. Joseph Catholic Church (approx. 0.3 miles away); Trader Jon's (approx. 0.4 miles away); 407 South Palafox (approx. 0.4 miles away); Industry At Sea (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pensacola.
Also see . . . 67 years ago, 2 teams of 12-year-old boys made history. Major League Baseball (MLB) (Submitted on September 23, 2024.)
Credits. This page was last revised on September 24, 2024. It was originally submitted on September 22, 2024, by Nicolas Rausch of Horn Lake, Mississippi. This page has been viewed 178 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on September 22, 2024, by Nicolas Rausch of Horn Lake, Mississippi. 2. submitted on September 23, 2024, by Nicolas Rausch of Horn Lake, Mississippi. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
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