History Daily Baseball’s Negro National League is Formed
Feb 13, 2026
A tale of the 1920 founding of the Negro National League and how racial violence and segregation shaped the need for Black baseball institutions. The rise and rule of Rube Foster, his conflicts over fairness, and fierce team rivalries. The league's peak, decline during the Depression, and its long legacy leading to later integration and modern recognition.
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Eugene Williams' Tragic Death
- A teen named Eugene Williams drowned after being hit by rocks while crossing a segregated lake line in Chicago.
- The killing went unpunished and sparked a week-long race riot that left 38 people dead.
Self-Sufficiency Over Exhibition Games
- Andrew Rube Foster concluded Black baseball needed self-sufficiency rather than reliance on exhibition games against white teams.
- He built the Chicago American Giants model to attract fans, players, and revenue through better facilities and pay.
Founding of the Negro National League
- On February 13, 1920, Rube Foster convened eight Black team owners in Kansas City to found the Negro National League.
- Foster became league president and Charles Taylor served as vice president, launching the first successful all-Black pro league.