Jermale Dabney 
Black stories have always been a part of the fabric of Chicago. And recently, the White Sox celebrated African-Americans by holding forth in their National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Night.
Guaranteed Rate Field was the backdrop to an energetic event featuring Black journalists from all over the country, celebrating with food, music, and baseball. Representatives from the White Sox, Major League Baseball, Nielsen, NBC 5 Chicago, and NABJ all made appearances at the event, thanking everyone for continuing to add to the fabric of the country through their reporting.
But it wasn’t all about the journalists. The event also included tributes to the Negro Leagues, continuing a celebration of African-American baseball players throughout this season by Major League Baseball. Just a week after the Double Duty Classic, a celebration of inner-city high school baseball players as well as the Negro Leagues, NABJ, MLB, and the White Sox continued those celebrations on Tuesday night.
As for the game on the field, it was actually quite entertaining, a feeling that White Sox fans haven’t really felt this season on account of them having lost 15 consecutive games coming into that night. The Sox held an early 1-0 lead off of a wild pitch by Royals pitcher Michael Wacha, scoring Nicky Lopez home from third base. They held the lead until the third inning, when Royals designated hitter Michael Massey hit a long solo home run to tie the game, 1-1.
The Sox took the lead right back in the fourth inning on a solo shot by first baseman Andrew Vaughn. That score held all the way to the top of the eighth inning, when Royals star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. hit an RBI single to center field, scoring Maikel Garcia. The hits kept coming for the Royals in the inning, as first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino hit a two-run RBI single, making the score 4-2. And while Chicago made it a 4-3 ballgame in the bottom of the inning on an Andrew Vaughn RBI groundout, the Sox couldn’t muster another run for the rest of the game, as they lost for their 16th consecutive time, 4-3.
While the home team lost on the field, NABJ continues to be a win for the African-American journalism community, continuing to advance the development of Black stories for years to come.
By Jermale Dabney, Junior, Lindblom Math and Science Academy
Instagram: @jermale_d
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