Red Sox: What Was Behind This ‘Racist’ Banner Unfurled At Fenway?

By Josh Helmuth

A group of unknown activists unfurled a banner at Fenway Park Wednesday night right atop the famous Green Monster, roughly around the 4th inning, while the Oakland A’s were playing the Red Sox. It wasn’t a sign that read “she said yes,” or “let’s go Sox!”…. it read “racism is as American as baseball.”

The ‘fans’ were immediately removed by security. Many initially thought the banner was a statement made by white supremacists, while it was actually quite the contrary.

CSN New England reportedly spoke with one of the organizers of the demonstration on the promise of anonymity. They confirmed that the banner was an anti-racist statement, something to start a conversation following an incident earlier this year in which Orioles outfielder Adam Jones cited racism while at Fenway; not to mention that Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia noted that he had been called the “n-word” in Boston, and just last month Red Sox ownership said they would rename a street outside of Fenway named after former racist owner Tom Yawkey.

“There were originally about eight people involved who had this idea, and those eight people come from various organizing groups in the Boston area,” the group member said by phone. “Mostly groups that affiliate with racial justice causes. And the banner came in response to the racist comments at the beginning of the season at Fenway [that Adam Jones spoke of].

“But overall, we saw, we see Boston continually priding itself as a kind of liberal, not racist city, and are reminded also constantly that it’s actually an extremely segregated city. It has been for a long time, and that no white people can avoid the history of racism, essentially. So we did this banner as a gesture towards that, to have a conversation about that.”

Well, these anonymous activists got what they wanted — a conversation. Hopefully this statement progresses in the right direction.

Josh Helmuth is the editor of Crave Sports. 

Photo: Getty

Josh Helmuth
Josh Helmuth

Josh is originally from the small berg of Arthur, Ill, proudly the Amish capital of the state. It also has one hell of a pumpkin patch.

Josh has enjoyed dipping his toes into a variety of careers since graduating from the University of Alabama, the most rewarding thus far having served as a youth director in southern California for four years, and his broadcasting career which has garnered two Emmy awards and three Edward R. Murrow Awards.  

Josh enjoys loud rock music, Tom Hanks movies, dogs that like to cuddle and long runs. He is also always in search for America's greatest cheeseburger. Follow him here if you would like to be friends!

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