Reviewed by: Liv George
Alabama HBCU choirs to perform during Juneteenth celebrity game at Rickwood Field
The week of events surrounding Major League Baseball’s visit to Birmingham is becoming more and more clear.
A celebrity softball game will be held at Rickwood Field to celebrate Juneteenth, which falls on the day between the minor league and MLB games in Birmingham. Some of Alabama’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) will have their choirs perform during the celebrity game.
Keep reading to find out more about which HBCUs will be represented + see everything we know about next month’s events at Rickwood Field.
‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’
Three choirs from HBCUs around the state will perform at Rickwood Field on June 19. The performances will happen during a celebrity softball game which will be nationally televised.
The three schools represented include:
- Alabama State University in Montgomery
- Alabama A&M University in Huntsville
- Miles College in Birmingham
According to a release from Alabama State, the three choirs will specifically sing Lift Every Voice and Sing by James Weldon Johnson, which is more commonly known as the Black National Anthem.
“We are honored and appreciative to have our student-choir members recognized and invited to perform at an event that honors the history and legacy of baseball’s Negro League and the many doors that it opened for diversity and inclusion for Blacks in the sport of baseball.”
~ ASU choir director Dr. Kristofer Sanchack
Details of the celebrity game have not yet been released but media company UNINTERRUPTED, which is owned by LeBron James and Maverick Carter, posted a video to social media alluding to the long-rumored event.
Once we have more information about when the celebrity game will be played, if it will be open to the public and what big names will be involved, we will let you know!
MLB at Rickwood Field: A Tribute to the Negro Leagues
We are now less than a month away from baseball returning to Rickwood Field in a big way. The oldest active ballpark in the country has gotten major renovations and is prepared for a weekend full of events. Here’s what you need to know:
- Tuesday, June 18
- Birmingham Barons vs. Montgomery Biscuits
- 6PM
- Wednesday, June 19
- Celebrity softball game
- HBCU choir performances
- Time TBA
- Thursday, June 20
- St. Louis Cardinals vs. San Francisco Giants
- 6:15PM
In case you may have missed any of it, check out a list of our stories about the Rickwood game below. And stay tuned for complete coverage of the events on our website and across our social media platforms.
- Ticket resale prices sky high after MLB at Rickwood sells out in minutes
- Willie Mays tells Birmingham Black Barons + Rickwood Field stories before his 93rd birthday
- MLB Commish: Game at Rickwood Field to highlight 2024 baseball season
- Historic Rickwood Field to receive upgrades totaling $4.5M for MLB visit in 2024
Will you be attending any of the events at Rickwood Field next month? Let us know by tagging The Bama Buzz on Instagram, X, Facebook + LinkedIn.
