The history and culture of Latinos and their impact on American culture and society through the lens of baseball will be shared in the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service’s (SITES) new bilingual (Spanish and English) exhibition, “¡Pleibol! In the Barrios and the Big Leagues / En los barrios y las grandes ligas.” The exhibition will be on view November 25, 2023 - February 25, 2024, at The African American Cultural Center & Museum of Florida, 4422 US 1 Highway, Palm Coast, FL.
“¡Pleibol! In the Barrios and the Big Leagues / En los barrios y las grandes ligas” was organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service in collaboration with the National Museum of American History. The exhibition received generous support from the Cordoba Corporation and Linda Alvarado, and federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center.
The exhibition captures the excitement of the game, from community baseball teams to the Major League, highlighting how the game can bring people together regardless of race, class, and gender. It will feature reproductions of historic and personal photographs, and graphic elements as well as a short bilingual video produced by “La Vida Baseball.”
Throughout the 20th century in the United States and Latin America, baseball provided a path for a better future. Workers in agriculture and industry in the United States used baseball to make ends meet and as a socially acceptable space to find community and organize for rights and justice.
“¡Pleibol! In the Barrios and the Big Leagues / En los barrios y las grandes ligas” has been made possible through close collaborations with over 30 partners in 14 states, Washington, DC and Puerto Rico to help bring visibility to Latino community histories through baseball. Smithsonian curators collaborated with partners and local communities across the country to document and preserve baseball stories at the heart of Latino communities. The traveling exhibition will visit 15 cities through 2025.
SITES has been sharing the wealth of Smithsonian collections and research programs with millions of people outside Washington, D.C., for more than 65 years. SITES connects Americans to their shared cultural heritage through a wide range of exhibitions about art, science, and history, which are shown wherever people live, work and play. For exhibition description and tour schedules, visit http://sites.si.edu.
Through incomparable collections, rigorous research and dynamic public outreach, the National Museum of American History seeks to empower people to create a more just and compassionate future by examining, preserving and sharing the complexity of our past. The museum's building is currently closed but its online exhibits and learning resources can be accessed at http://americanhistory.si.edu.
For over 30 years the African American Cultural Society, Inc. has been highlighting the outstanding contributions and historic legacy of the African American community. Upcoming events and activities produced by the African American Cultural Society, taking place at its Cultural Center & Museum include First Annual Youth Book Festival: Make Your Own Story, August 18 – 19, 2023; Shirley Chisholm Tribute, November 2023; Kwanzaa Celebration, December 26, 2023; and much more.
The African American Cultural Society, Inc., mission is to preserve and perpetuate the cultural heritage of the African Diaspora through educational, social, cultural, and intellectual activities, and services, deemed to be in the best interest of the entire community.
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