In my ongoing work with the website Black College Nines, I have the privilege of connecting with former baseball players who played at historically black colleges and universities and often the Negro Leagues. I love this work. It's history, human connection across multiple generations, and enjoyable baseball discussions. My first profile is North Carolina A&T alum James Robinson, a member of powerhouse Aggie teams of the late 1940s and early 1950s. Mr. Robinson became a profe

Wisdom came when I scheduled a home delivery from Sears, before they closed all their stores, of course. After asking for my address and zip code, the sales clerk read from his screen, “Maple Hill, Connecticut?” Clearly not. I’ve lived in Newington for more than a decade. I never heard of Maple Hill, aside from a road in town. I asked where Maple Hill came from. The clerk didn’t know. I started digging. Turns out, Maple Hill is one of six boroughs in Newington, and one of cou

It was around this time of year. I lived in Tennessee, a couple of months after graduating college, not knowing what I was or would be doing. I picked up writing gigs wherever I could, which is why I was in Chattanooga covering wrestling - Greco-Roman style, not WWE. My friend, Matthew, was with me. After a whirlwind weekend, I said something to the effect of "Yeah, man. I'm leaving in a couple of days." I remember the gravity of the moment in the parking lot - stunned by a b