"Why history is important" - US Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee uses Reggie Jackson's story to underpin challenge of modern racism

Reggie Jackson's presence at the MLB Rickwood Field game on June 20 was of great importance. The game, organized to mark the African-American holiday of Juneteenth, highlighted how far inclusion in the game has come since Jackson played at the Birmingham, Alabama site in the 1960s.

During the pre-game coverage, the 78 year-old Hall of Famer was asked by former Yankees star Alex Rodriguez about the emotions of coming back to Rickwood almost 60 years after he experienced brutal racism here. After a moments pause, Jackson proceeded to highlight some of the gross injustices that he experienced as one of the few Black players on the Birmingham A's before making his MLB debut in 1967.

Among those who were moved by Jackson's candid words was Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), who took to her own social media to promote it. Replying to recent claims by fellow Black Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL) that Black families lived better under the Jim Crow segregation laws, Lee reminded her followers "this is why history is important. We will never forget!"

"Remember a few weeks ago when one of my colleagues tried to say that life was better for black families under Jim Crow? This is why history is important. We will never forget!" - Sheila Jackson Lee

Having represented Texas' diverse 18th Congressional District since 1995, Sheila Jackson Lee has often promoted causes related to social and racial justice. She is among several political figures to have commented on the Rickwood game, with first gentleman Doug Emhoff, husband of Kamala Harris, attending.

Reggie Jackson played a short time for the Birmingham A's, before making his debut for KC in 1967, and the Oakland Athletics in 1968. A Hall of Famer with 563 home runs and over 1,700 RBIs to his name, Jackson recounted tales of vicious discrimination.

Reggie Jackson's appearance at Rickwood important for tolerance in baseball

With famed San Francisco Giants legend Willie Mays passing just days before the MLB game in Rickwood, Reggie Jackson assumed sole responsibility for reminding the fans of today how hard things were for Black players back then. As Reggie Jackson A-Rod on FOX:

“The racism when I played here, the difficulty of going through different places where we traveled. Fortunately I had a manager and I had players on the team that helped me get through it, but I wouldn’t wish it on anybody.”

Although the kind of abuse that Jackson suffered would be unthinkable today, it pays to remember, and to be reminded, that not very long ago, things were very different.