Preserving the Legacy of the Negro Leagues Trailblazers
When we starting interviewing players over 15 years ago we couldn't promise what would become of the film. It was a passion project that didn't have a guarantee of distribution. The one thing filmmaker Lauren Meyer could promise (and did) is that she would do everything she could to make sure the players' stories would be shared and their legacies would not be forgotten.
This year we surpassed our 100th program with the film. The Other Boys of Summer has reached over 100 companies, communities, schools and organizations of all kinds sharing the stories of the Negro League baseball players in their own words. This has not just been a love letter to the players. It's been a call to action. We've brought people together, inspired, sparked alliances and mentorships. We've amplified the voices of incredible overlooked and overshadowed pioneers. When people see the film they fall in love with these humble heroes.
We hope this post brings a little joy if you've been one of the thousands of people we've reached. There's only one player from the film who is still alive to tell his story, but thankfully we had the honor of meeting and capturing the stories from many others and sharing them in The Other Boys of Summer.
The film proves time and time again that it isn't a baseball movie, it's a people movie. It shares the joys and struggles of the underdog and celebrates them for who they are and what they accomplished. They never set out to change America, they just wanted to play the game they loved. But, through their passion, the Negro Leaguers became civil rights trailblazers. In the words of John "Mule" Miles, I'm not complaining I'm just explaining."
Happy and healthy holidays! We hope to see you in 2024. Our email is always open for questions and conversations.
