Agree or disagree with it and say why. The “why” is the most important part of the student's response..

-It was important for African American players to form their own league because at the time they were not able to participate the way white players were able to. During this time, they were being held back and weren’t allowed to outshine the white players. Creating their own league stopped that from occurring and they were able to enjoy playing the game. In the interview with Hank Aaron it was addressed that the negro league players still couldn’t stay at the same hotels or eat in the same restaurants, I imagine this is another reason it was important for them to form their own league.

-The negro league baseball history helped stop the idea of baseball being an all-white sport. This has helped open up the opportunity to various races today. In an article from Forbes another reason there aren’t as many African American MLB players today is due to the lack of youth playing baseball. This article also describes how baseball is seen as “boring to watch” and how the “cool factor has shifted.” Simply put, not as many people enjoy baseball as much as they do other sports.

-We see the combination of sports and pop culture a lot in 2020. Probably the most common event would be the super bowl. It is one thing to be rooting for your team to make it to the super bowl and win but even if they don’t at least you know that no matter who is performing in the halftime show it will be entertaining. Another way sports and media are combined are the commercials for the Superbowl. The funny commercials are a way to increase views from people who aren’t necessarily huge sports fans.  

-I feel that these women definitely deserve to be called trailblazers. I believe this because it is very uncommon to see a female coach in a predominately male sport. She deserves to be noticed and appreciated. She obviously knows the game and is capable of doing the same thing a man is. Some probably think that because she is a woman no one will listen to her the same as a male coach. I could for sure see this being a challenge but if she made it this far and knows what she’s doing then she deserves the same respect.   

Student 2:

1. Although African Americans were allowed to play with whites during the 1870 and 1880s the faced must racism and often only had one African American per team. This allowed them to find an outlet in their own leagues.I believe it was necessary because it allowed African Americans to want show the major leagues that they could play just as well or even better. Player were allowed to show off their true potential instead of being held back this was essential. 

2. In baseball  today there are fewer African Americans than there were in the 1870s-90s. This is surprising because some of the best  players have been African American. Im not too sure how they are correlated as of today the biggest similarities would be the oppression still happening to the African American community. 

3.  I feel that that most athletes have done a lot for media and culture just by giving back. You can see athletes such as Lebron, Neymar, Odel and many others connecting reach out to others bringing sports together. They are growing and expanding the games by donating equipment for the next generations to play. Musicians also giving back and collaborating with international musicians making incredible music. 

4. I believe all those women should be considered trailblazers because they're all great. The barriers they have broken to reach where they are is truly amazing. women have always been oppressed and never given the equality that they deserve. By breaking the molds and working in "mens Industry" such as Katie Sowers which is coaching professional football and with my favorite team. Women do so much and should be recognized as trailblazers when they make such accomplishments. 

Student 3:

1. It became necessary for black players to form their own baseball league because they had a great talent that they could not expose to the world due to their skin tones. Having the NLB did not only bring African Americans together but it was also the main reason they received an opportunity to play in the MLB. They were able to display their talent in a league of their own and it eventually got noticed by MLB coaches. Without the NLB, many great African American players would have never had a chance of playing in the MLB.

2. It seems as if that history was overlooked. African American Players went through much sacrifice to play baseball in the MLB. When coaches and GMs saw their talent there was no doubt they couldn’t be turned down. Now it’s awkward that there are not hardly in African American MLB players considering the MLB is more acceptable for African Americans now. Although with the numbers from the USA today, it seems like more African Americans would be in the MLB since a handful of African Americans joined the NLB back then. 

3. We see this happen often in basketball. NBA during All-Star weekend allows actors, artists and etc, to play a game of basketball days before the actual NBA players play. This brings together many people from distinct cultures and also the media.

4. They should not be considered trailblazers because a trailblazer is one that innovates and creates a path for others. Johnson was someone who used her talents to influence other female athletes today. You can’t consider people like Katie Sowers and Alyssa Nakken trailblazers because they are taking such actions in a different time where women are now more accepted into many fields. A long time ago, being an African American woman was complex. To me, a trailblazer is one who paves a way for someone during a time where someone would least expect them to succeed.