Cruising Along The Centennial of Negro League Baseball
Cool Cars and the Smile of a Great Child Mark the Celebration of 100 Years Since the Founding of Black Baseball
County Councilmember Rodney Streeter, Police Chief Hector Velez Join Dwayne Renal Sims and Doug Foster, Jr.
Narrative by Dwayne Renal Sims
Photographs By Tonie Abernathy // Video By Chris Thomas
A hundred years ago, Negro League baseball formally organized and launched setting the stage—and opening the door—to an entirely new world of talent and previously under recognized economic revenue streams. It was founded by Andrew “Rube” Foster Feb, 13, 1920.
Fast forward a century and on Sept. 19, in FedEx Field’s purple parking lot, home field of the Washington Football Team, the Negro League Legends Hall of Fame, Inc. (NLLHOF) celebrated the centennial of the Negro National League. NLLHOF founded by Dwayne Renal Sims, is based in the county and has kept the flame of the negro league alive since Sims founded the organization in 2003.
Special guest William “Doug” Foster, Jr., Rube Foster’s great nephew, was a keynote figure of the event.
NLLHOF hosted a community outreach program that featured a United 495 Beltway Salute to our first responders, medical personnel, essential workers, military, educators, service providers and our communities during these challenging times due to COVID-19. The occasion featured a parade of classic and muscle cars, custom designed rides that held center stage as they cruised through the lot (see videos at right).
Click here to view photos.
Auto groups included:
Metrovettes
Southern Soul Corvettes
Living the Dream Corvettes
Annapolitan Corvettes
DMVNC3 Corvettes
Top Flight Corvettes
Xtrem Corvettes
Black Knights Corvettes
Baltimore County Corvette Club, Inc.
Lady Slingshot Riders
Let’s Ride Crew
SStakeover
Slingshots of Virginia
Vetera Owned Slingshots
Ride 4 Life VA
Sling & Pullup
Polaris Slingshot Owners Group
Slingshot Owners Group
East Coast Slingz
Unity Thunder
Rod & Staff Custom Cars
Master Cruises
Continental Cruisers
DMV Wranglerz
The co-chair for the salute was Prince George’s County Council member Rodney C. Streeter (D-District 7) whose support is centered on community-based organizations. Streeter sees these organizations as essential to the stability of the citizens in Prince George’s. Co-Chair Streeter was the NLLHOF recipient of the 1920 National Negro League 2020 Andrew Rube Foster Centennial Award Crystal Sept 17, 2020 (Rube’s 141 st Birthday anniversary).
The event’s Grand Marshall, four year old Kristopher Vincent Quander, was diagnosed with a terminal illness, DIPG (Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma). Other special guests included Darren Haynes, sports director for WUSA9 and Prince George’s County Police Department acting Chief Hector Velez. The chief presented Kristopher with all the credentials to make him an honorary police officer --- badge included.
For more information about the Quander family and DIPG contact, legends@nllhof.org
