Buck Leonard's Hometown

Buck Leonard was a Negro League legend. He and Josh Gibson were known as the 'Thunder Twins" on the Homestead Grays. He was more than just another baseball player, Leonard played first base for the Grays for 17 years and was an integral part of their dynasty during the 1930's and 40's. He played in the East-West Classic 11 times, a Negro League record. He was inducted into The National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown in 1972. Buck grew up in Rocky Mount, NC. His town didn't permit African-Americans to attend HS and subsequently Buck didn't receive his HS diploma until he turned 52, which speaks to his dedication and determination. He had a successful career in real estate after baseball and contributed a great deal to his hometown of Rocky Mount. Today, his daughter maintains his legacy by running The Buck Leonard Association for Sports and Human Enrichment which provides opportunities and education for people in lower income communities. They focus on youth and launched an R.B.I. program in Rocky Mount. They're proud to have to been using STEM to connect science to sports and enrichment for over 10 years.

The Buck Leonard Association reached out to the City of Rocky Mount to make sure that they celebrate the centennial of The Negro Leagues. We traveled to Rocky Mount on Jan. 31, 2020 to bring The Other Boys of Summer to the community. It was a FREE program where everyone was welcome. They assembled a panel of 10+ diverse individuals to engage in

a powerful dialog following the film. We met 2 former Negro Leaguers for the first time during this event. Clifford Layton played alongside Hank Aaron on the Indianapolis Clowns. Chuck Walters spent one spring playing for the Cuban Giants. It was a great community event. Thank you to everyone who joined us.