Black History Month - Cannon Street YMCA All-Stars Part 1

In 1955, the Cannon Street YMCA All-Stars were a team of confident young baseball players from Charleston, South Carolina, who just wanted to play ball. Instead, they faced a wall of segregation: every all-white team in the state refused to take the field against them. In this episode, we hear from team shortstop John Rivers about the frustration of winning a state title by forfeit, only to be barred from the Little League World Series on a technicality. We revisit the emotional moment when they arrived in Williamsport as guests, sparking a chant from the crowd that still echoes today: "Let them play." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices