RECONCILIATION TOUR
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Baseball is a beautiful game, especially when played in a community. Not long ago, Baseball Beyond Borders and Converge Media took a powerful, eye-opening journey through the heart of the south which included baseball, civil rights, and reconciliation.
The trip featured a baseball clinic, a tour of a Historically Black College/University - Jackson State University - and a trip to Montgomery, Alabama by way of Edmund Pettus Bridge, to visit the Equal Justice Initiative Museum and Memorial. We were accompanied by a host of friends and allies to find serenity in a sport and preserve the cultural legacy. Witness the sights and sounds of our journey to find healing through sports.
Reconciliation Tour is now screening at 35,000 feet
On February 1st, Alaska Airlines added Reconciliation Tour to their in-flight entertainment systems for free viewing, putting it in the hands of over 44 million customers a year flying to over 120 destinations.
ABOUT THE FILM
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Travel.
With the support of Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream, Ezell’s Famous Chicken, and Amazon, Baseball Beyond Borders travelled from Seattle to the South. The Baseball Beyond Borders Kings and Converge Media visited Jackson, Mississippi as well as Selma and Montgomery, Alabama on a journey of baseball, reconciliation and education. Scroll to see a day by day summary of the trip.
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Premiere.
The film premiered on September 27th at T-Mobile Park, the home of the Seattle Mariners. The screening took place in the park’s Ellis Pavilion in a special event featuring Baseball Beyond Borders community members and supporters. Present were Mariners Owner John Stanton, President of Business Operations Katie Griggs, and former players Dan Wilson and Brian Hunter.
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Response.
“Our community witnessed the sites and sounds of our time in Jackson and Montgomery during the private screening. They connected with our youth and journeyed alongside as we strive for reconciliation and healing through baseball,” - Baseball Beyond Borders Founder Bookie Gates
“We were moved to see the BBB Kings interacting with the youth of West Jackson. Baseball was the common denominator, but equal access and justice are the hopeful outcomes. As Dr. John Perkins said, ‘we must play together’.” - Mariners Hall of Famer Dan Wilson
WATCH HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE PREMIERE BELOW
“The main highlight of the trip was bonding with the team knowing we might have changed someone’s perspective on life and opportunity on and off the field. It also made me want to explore more opportunities out of my own comfort zone and leave the door unlocked for those behind me.”
— Malachi Wayman, Baseball Beyond Borders Student-Athlete
Day 1: Jackson, Mississippi
Day 1 featured the kickoff of the baseball clinic at Jackson State University hosted by the Seattle Kings and the John and Vera Mae Perkins Foundation. The team met the local youth following a passionate speech from member of the Mariners Hall of Fame Dan Wilson. The team led the kids in stretches and warmups before coaches led drills.
The Kings then took a tour of JSU while the kids continued to play. After lunch, the team joined back up with the youth to close out the day.
That night, the BBB Kings played an exhibition game against the Jackson 96’ers, a local select team from the area. In a thrilling, extra-innings comeback, the Kings won 10-9.
Day 2: Jackson, Mississippi
Day 2 was the final day of the camp, which featured a 60-yard dash and a whiffle ball game in the outfield. Campers and players built on relationships formed on day one, bonding over the shared experience of baseball.
“It’s really amazing to see,” Mariners Legend Dan Wilson said. “You can see how much fun everyone is having.”
The camp ended with live batting practice on the field, featuring Kings players and the Jackson youth side by side as they celebrated the connection they had made.
Day 3: Selma, Alabama
Day 3 of the Baseball Beyond Borders trip through the South took the team out of Jackson, Mississippi and moved East to Alabama. After a quick stop in downtown Jackson, they hit the road. A stop in Selma took brought them to the Edmund Pettus Bridge, the site of Bloody Sunday as well as other famous marches. They then travelled to Montgomery, where the team watched a Montgomery Biscuits game (the AA affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays).
This day served as a transition into the reconciliation part of the trip, where the players from Seattle would experience the legacy of the civil rights movement in the South.
Day 4: Montgomery, Alabama
Day four of the Baseball Beyond Borders trip through the South was one of the most impactful. The team visited the Equal Justice Initiative’s Legacy Museum, which tells the story of slavery in great detail as well as the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, which lists the names of individuals who were lynched throughout American history. They also were graced by the presence of Anthony Ray Hinton, who spent 30 years on death row for a crime he did not commit. Hinton spoke about forgiveness and love, a powerful message made more poignant by his experiences.
The final day of the journey was filled with powerful experiences which the impacted the players heavily as they prepared to make their way back home.
Support Baseball Beyond Borders
“As a sports-based community development organization, Baseball Beyond Borders (BBB) affords families and communities the opportunity to expose their youth to critical skills necessary for life through participation in the sport of baseball.
Prior to launching in 2014, the program operated under Chaffey Baseball Inner-City starting in 2007. The focus remains on student-athlete development in both athletics and academics.
We connect the passion of students-athletes to their academic future.
Our emphasis is to expand on the financial, geographical, and social boundaries that restrict many of our youth and families in our communities to engage in the sport of baseball.
Our organizational model allows us to not only be able to extend beyond the "foul lines" but also implement a curriculum, Moving Beyond 12, that assists student-athletes and their families to navigate the college access process and prepare them for life after the 12th grade.”
