Major League Baseball announced Tuesday, April 6, 2021 the decision to move its All-Star Game from Georgia to Colorado, citing concerns over Georgia’s new voter-suppression law that experts all agree would make it harder for people of color to vote.
Tom Zeiler, a professor of U.S. diplomatic history, co-teaches a popular course called "America Through Baseball" and has authored three books on the sport, including one on Jackie Robinson and race in America, which focuses on Robinson's story as a civil rights pioneer and the impact racial integration in baseball had on America. He can discuss the history of politics in baseball, race and baseball and the historical significance of this decision.
Patrick Ferucci, associate professor of journalism, can discuss how sports and society influence each other, particularly when it comes to race. Ferucci has extensively studied the different ways media portray athletes, including Major League Baseball players, based on race and how that perpetuates racial stereotypes in sport.
Contact: Ally Dever, CU Boulder media relations