By Raymond Tyler
Though we are wrapping up Black History Month, let’s acknowledge that The Noyes Arts Garage of Stockton University celebrates Black History year-round with its Black Art Matters series.
Each month the Black Art Matters celebrations have included film, poetry, visual arts, storytelling, hip-hop, gospel and more. You can find out about upcoming Black Art Matters events at The Noyes Arts Garage website, www.artsgarageac.com.
On Sunday, Feb. 25, The Noyes Garage was standing room only for the screening and discussion of the film, “The League,” a Magnolia Pictures documentary about the formation and evolution of the Negro League through the early 1900s in America.
The Negro League was a fully professional baseball league that operated at a time when people of color were not allowed to play Major League Baseball.
The popularity of the Negro League comes and goes over the years, however, as was noted at Sunday’s screening, Atlantic City and South Jersey played major roles in the history of the Negro League.
Part of the South Jersey Negro League legacy was former pitcher for the Newark Eagles, Max Manning.
Manning served in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. In the 1946 Negro World Series, he started two games and went 1–1 to help the Eagles win the championship. In his later years, Manning resided in Pleasantville until his passing in 2003. His daughter, Belinda Manning, led the discussion after the screening.
Belinda Manning also gave out the details about a $2,000 Youth Essay Contest, which will be presented at the Arts Garage on Sunday, April 21.
During the discussion segment she, along with and Negro League historians Ron Jordan and Michael Everett, pointed out that the first two Negro League World Series were played in Atlantic City (circa 1926 and 1927).
Also in The Noyes Arts Garage of Stockton University is the Pop Lloyd Exhibition. The hallway walls are sporting 25 various pieces of art dedicated to John Henry “Pop” Lloyd, Max Manning and the Negro Leagues. The diverse collection is a must-see for anyone who enjoys art, baseball or both.
Pop Lloyd was born in 1884 and played 27 seasons in the Negro League, including four seasons with Atlantic City’s Bacharach Giants.
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