Latest news with #MinnieMinoso
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Mural honoring MLB legends Jackie Robinson and Minnie Minoso vandalized with sickening racist message
Murals honoring beloved baseball trailblazers Jackie Robinson and Minnie Miñoso were defaced with swastikas and hateful racist slurs in Miami this week. Local police say the incident was reported Monday in at Dorsey Park in Overtown, a predominantly black area northwest of Downtown Miami. The Athletic has reported that the vandalism is being investigated as a hate crime. Swastikas were painted over the murals' faces, with a racist slur written across Robinson's. The murals were originally painted by artist Kyle Holbrook in 2011 as part of Martin Luther King project in the city. 'This was an act of hate, but it will not define us,' Holbrook told the Miami Herald. 'This mural was born from a community's pride, history, and power. We will restore it -- stronger, bolder, and with even more purpose. Black history is American history. And no spray paint can erase that truth.' Born in Cuba in 1924, Miñoso was a breakout star with the Negro leagues' New York Cubans before becoming the first Afro-Latino player in Major League Baseball history. He'd go on to earn nine All-Star appearances, three gold gloves in left field, and have his No. 9 retired by the Chicago White Sox. He died in 2015 – seven years before his posthumous induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Robinson arrived in the majors with the Brooklyn Dodgers a year before Miñoso in 1947 to breaking baseball's color barrier and helping to reinvigorate America's civil rights movement. Remembered as an icon of integration, Robinson's exploits as a player are often overshadowed by his other contributions to society. But in addition to being an extraordinary running back at UCLA, Robinson would win the 1947 Rookie of the year in Brooklyn before taking MVP honors and the National League batting title two years later. His No. 42 is retired throughout baseball, outside of Jackie Robinson day when it's worn by both the American and National Leagues. Robinson was inducted into Cooperstown in 1962. US congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (Democrat, Florida) has called the vandalism a 'vile act of hatred' in a statement Wednesday. 'We must treat this for what it is: a hate crime meant to instill fear and division,' she said. 'But we will not be intimidated. We will respond with unity, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to truth, justice, and the preservation of our history.' A similar incident took place in Wichita, Kansas in 2024 when a Robinson statue was stolen, burned and destroyed. In 2024, 45-year-old Ricky Alderete was arrested for the crime. Police say he intended to sell the metal for scrap. Ultimately Alderete got 18 months for theft in August of 2024.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Jackie Robinson mural in Miami defaced with racial slurs and swastikas
Miami murals honoring baseball trailblazers Jackie Robinson and Minnie Minoso were defaced with swastikas and racist slurs this week. The vandalism in the city's Overtown neighborhood was reported Monday to police, who told the Athletic on Friday that they are investigating the incident as a hate crime. The defacements of the murals in Dorsey Park included swastikas painted over the players' faces and a racial slur scrawled on Robinson's image. 'This was an act of hate, but it will not define us,' Kyle Holbrook, the artist who painted the mural in 2011 as part of the MLK Mural Project, told the Miami Herald. 'This mural was born from a community's pride, history, and power. We will restore it – stronger, bolder, and with even more purpose. Black history is American history. And no spray paint can erase that truth.' Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball when he took the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. The Hall of Famer's uniform No 42 is retired throughout the big leagues. Minoso, who was born in Cuba, also broke ground as the first Black Latino player when he played for Cleveland in 1949. He was inducted into Cooperstown in 2022. US representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, a Democrat from Florida, called the vandalism a 'vile act of hatred' in a statement Wednesday. 'We must treat this for what it is: a hate crime meant to instill fear and division,' she said. 'But we will not be intimidated. We will respond with unity, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to truth, justice, and the preservation of our history.' In 2024, a statue of Robinson was stolen from a park in Wichita, Kansas, and later found burned and dismantled.
Reuters
4 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Jackie Robinson mural in Miami defaced with hate speech
June 6 - Miami murals honoring baseball trailblazers Jackie Robinson and Minnie Minoso were defaced with swastikas and racist slurs this week. The vandalism in the city's Overtown neighborhood was reported Monday to police, who told The Athletic on Friday that they are investigating the incident as a hate crime. The defacements of the murals in Dorsey Park included swastikas painted over the players' faces and a racial slur scrawled on Robinson's image. "This was an act of hate, but it will not define us," Kyle Holbrook, the artist who painted the mural in 2011 as part of the MLK Mural Project, told the Miami Herald. "This mural was born from a community's pride, history, and power. We will restore it -- stronger, bolder, and with even more purpose. Black history is American history. And no spray paint can erase that truth." Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball when he took the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. The Hall of Famer's uniform No. 42 is retired throughout the big leagues. Minoso, who was born in Cuba, also broke ground as the first Black Latino player when he played for Cleveland in 1949. He was inducted into Cooperstown in 2022. U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.) called the vandalism a "vile act of hatred" in a statement Wednesday. "We must treat this for what it is: a hate crime meant to instill fear and division," she said. "But we will not be intimidated. We will respond with unity, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to truth, justice, and the preservation of our history." In 2024, a statue of Robinson was stolen from a park in Wichita, Kan., and later found burned and dismantled. --Field Level Media
Associated Press
5 days ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
A mural honoring Jackie Robinson and Minnie Miñoso is defaced with racist graffiti in Miami
MIAMI (AP) — Police are investigating after vandals defaced a mural of baseball legends Jackie Robinson and Minnie Miñoso that is part of a collection of artwork honoring baseball players in Miami's Overtown neighborhood. The vandalism was discovered Sunday by a 7-year-old boy who asked his mother what the words and the Nazi symbols meant, community leaders said during a news conference. City workers have since partially covered the murals of Robinson and Miñoso, an Afro-Cuban player, with wooden boards. The murals are along a fence at Dorsey Park, where Negro League teams once played baseball. 'I know you may not be able to show it on television, but we need the community to uncover the hurt and the hatred that is existing. The reason why this keeps being perpetuated is because we keep covering it up,' said Terrance Cribbs-Lorrant, an executive director with the city of Miami Black Police Precinct. On Wednesday, Democratic U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick said in a statement that she is outraged by the 'vile act of hatred.' 'We must treat this for what it is: a hate crime meant to instill fear and division. But we will not be intimidated. We will respond with unity, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to truth, justice, and the preservation of our history,' she said. Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball in 1947 when he became the first Black player, signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Miñoso became the league's first Afro-Latino player and the first Black player for the Chicago White Sox. The murals have been displayed in the park since 2011 and are a collaboration between artists Kyle Holbrook and Kadir Nelson and various community groups. Police have yet to make any arrests for the vandalism. 'This was more than a defaced mural — it was an attempt to silence our story,' said Dr. Saliha Nelson, CEO of Urgent, Inc. 'But we will not be erased. We will restore this mural and celebrate this space as a symbol of agency, pride, and excellence.'
