Closing Reception

1845 34th Street,Sarasota FL 34234

18 March, 2021

Description

"Buck O'Neil: Right on Time" exhibition closes soon. Let's celebrate the national treasure and Newtown legend for his international impact. Sports brings people together of all backgrounds. In Sarasota, that spirit of unity is recognized through the memory of a former baseball player and coach who grew up in Newtown and championed racial equality for more than 50 years. The life of baseball legend John Jordan “Buck” O’Neil is on display in the Sarasota neighborhood where he grew up before eventually becoming the first African American coach in Major League Baseball and the recipient of a lifetime achievement award by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Sponsored by the Baltimore Orioles, the Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition, Newtown Alive, the Community Foundation of Sarasota and the City of Sarasota, the “Buck O’Neil: Right on Time” exhibition is on loan from the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City and will be showcased through March 20 at the Robert L. Taylor Community Complex. Mr. O’Neil’s life as the grandson of enslaved Africans is documented from the early years to his remarkable baseball career. Rare photographs are included on a series of panels. “Buck O'Neil's family roots run deep into our community's rich soil," said SAACC President/CEO Vickie Oldham. "He was a kind, genteel and charming soul with a heart of gold." O’Neil’s impact on American baseball is chronicled in books and in the Ken Burns 1994 PBS documentary "Baseball." Buck was the break out star in the film.