Code Switch What the Savannah Bananas have to do with race and baseball
May 13, 2026
Josh Levin, journalist who researched the Indianapolis Clowns and Negro League history. He explains the Savannah Bananas’ TikTok-ready circus style and massive popularity. He traces the Clowns’ roots in minstrel traditions and why reviving that team sparks controversy. Short, sharp conversations about history, performance, and how entertainment and race collide in baseball.
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Savannah Bananas Are Baseball Optimized For TikTok
- The Savannah Bananas are a social-media-first baseball entertainment brand that mixes legitimate baseball with choreographed dancing, stunts, and TikTok-ready moments.
- Josh Levin reports the Bananas have millions of followers and run a traveling, family-friendly circus-style show that outdraws many minor and major teams.
Indianapolis Clowns Rooted In Minstrel-Style Performance
- The Indianapolis Clowns originated as the Ethiopian Clowns and were steeped in minstrelsy, using costumes, faux African names, and sometimes whiteface to play for laughs.
- Josh Levin explains this tradition made the team a huge box-office draw but morally fraught for many in Black America who feared it reinforced degrading stereotypes.
Clowns Viewed As Threat To Baseball Integration
- Prominent Black journalists and leaders, like Wendell Smith, condemned the Clowns as a ‘fourth-rate Uncle Tom minstrel show’ because their antics risked undermining efforts to integrate Major League Baseball.
- The criticism linked the Clowns' image to broader campaigns for racial uplift and the serious goal of integration.