“Black History On Screen” Presented By The Riverhead Anti-Bias Task Force & The Suffolk With Pre-Screening Forum
Honoring Legends, Inspiring Generations: Celebrating Black Athletes and the Legacy of the Negro Leagues
Doors: 6:30PM | Film: 7:00PM (Opening remarks by Dwight Gooden) | Post-Screening Forum
On May 30, 2024, Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred made the official announcement that the statistics of more than 2,300 Negro League players from the years 1920-1948 were officially incorporated into MLB’s historical record, and that the records will become a permanent part of baseball history.
“The League” is a 2023 documentary directed by Sam Pollard that delves into the history of Negro League Baseball in the United States. The film highlights the league’s significant impact on both the sport and the civil rights movement, showcasing how it thrived despite the challenges of segregation. Through archival footage and interviews, it brings to light the stories of legendary players and the community’s resilience during the Jim Crow era.
The event includes a post-screening forum moderated by Mark MK McLaughlin (Chairman of the Anti-Bias Task Force) featuring…
Gary Lee Brown is a Brentwood native who played in the NFL. An All-American at Nassau County Community College, he earned a scholarship to Georgia Tech before being selected in the fifth round of the 1994 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers and later signed by the Green Bay Packers. Brown was on the roster for the Super Bowl win in 1997. He played with the practice squad of the San Fransisco 49ers in 1998 and for the Hamilton Tiger Cats of the Canadian Football League from 2000-2003. He started the Gary Brown Dreams 68 Foundation where he inspires underprivileged youth to dream.
Fabio Montella is an Associate Professor of History and Library Services at Suffolk County Community College. He is also a longstanding baseball historian whose research addresses the dynamics of race and gender in baseball history. He has published several articles on the divergence of the Negro Leagues and Long Island baseball and the history of women’s professional baseball on the east coast. Fabio holds an MLIS from CW Post, an MA in History from Stony Brook University, and an MA in Learning and Emerging Technology from SUNY Empire State College. He is a 2021 recipient of the NYS Outstanding Librarian Award and a 2024 recipient of the Association of Public Historians of New York State’s Hugh Hastings Award. Fabio is working on a book highlighting Suffolk County’s most significant baseball moments.
Chris R. Vaccaro is an Emmy Award and Murrow Award winning media and sports business executive. The President of the Suffolk County Sports Hall of Fame, he has established the Hall as one of the state’s foremost organizatons for history and cultural preservation. With several satellite locations and a robust digital archive, the Hall also runs a historical marker program honoring places of historical significance. Vaccaro, past Editor-in-Chief of The Topps Company (yes, baseball cards!) and VP of News 12 Networks, is the author of 10 books and has produced eight documentaries on various subjects. He is also a professor and director of graduate journalism at Hofstra University. He is an inductee of the Long Island Journalism Hall of Fame, the New York State Baseball Hall of Fame and the Sachem Athletic Hall of Fame.
Kia Wright is one of Long Island’s highest scoring girls hoops players of all-time. She was a star at Copiague High School and St. John’s University. A coach at Copiague, she was named Suffolk County Player of the Year in 2002. For the Red Storm, Wright was a four-time All-BIG EAST selection and is the only player in program history with 1,500-plus points and 400-plus assists. She was inducted into the Suffolk County Sports Hall of Fame and the St. John’s University Athletic Hall of Fame.
• Please be advised that your tickets are specific to the table only. This means that, while you have secured your presence at the table of your choice, the seats you occupy are based on a ‘first come first serve’ basis.
• All tickets are final sale. There are no refunds, credits, or exchanges. Should the performance be canceled or rescheduled for any reason, patrons will be contacted by the Box Office.
• If you are looking for an enhanced show experience when planning small gatherings, special occasions, anniversaries, etc., feel free to ask the box office about our Skybox room rental.