A trailblazing baseball team from the 1930s has been honoured with the first-ever historical plaque in recognition of its pioneering contributions to sports and civil rights.
The Chatham Coloured All-Stars plaque was unveiled at Stirling Park, the field where the team played in the 1930s, on Tuesday, November 21.
Chatham-Kent Mayor Darrin Canniff, relatives of the team, historians, and dignitaries were present for the unveiling.
According to Sam Meredith, executive director of the Black Historical Society and Black Mecca Museum, it's the first-ever plaque implemented by the Chatham-Kent Historical Network.
"As soon as we that was available, I wrote the submission to get the historical plaque put in for the Chatham Coloured All-Stars at Stirling Park," said Meredith. "It was selected and we lucked out by getting to be the first of the plaques to be installed."
The plaque includes information about the team and its achievements, including winning an Ontario Baseball Amateur Association championship in 1934 to become the first Black baseball team to win a provincial title.
"It was really important to place the plaque at Stirling Park," said Meredith. "That was their home field until they got to join the city league. Some of the players lived right across the street on Scane Street from that baseball diamond."
The All-Stars faced numerous challenges, both on and off the field, but their commitment to breaking racial barriers left an indelible mark on Canadian sports history.
The team has been inducted into the Chatham Sports Hall of Fame, Baseball Ontario Hall of Fame, and Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.
The network, which is made up of local historical and heritage groups, will be working with the municipality to honour significant people, events, and locations.
More plaques are expected to pop up around the community in the next four to five years.