HIDDEN CROWNS OF COWTOWN: The Legacy of Negro League Legends from Fort Worth, Texas. By Pastor Kyev P. Tatum, Sr.

HIDDEN CROWNS OF COWTOWN: The Legacy of Negro League Legends from Fort Worth, Texas. By Pastor Kyev P. Tatum, Sr. To become an Angel Donor for this Traveling Exhibit: Zelle: newmtrosembc@gmail.com

A Legendary Masterpiece Celebrating Fort Worth’s Negro League Royalty

As Fort Worth rises to meet America’s 250th Anniversary moment, the Hidden Crowns of Cowtown exhibition now expands to include one of the most transformative figures in baseball history — Rube Foster, the Father of the Negro Leagues.

Before he organized greatness, he sharpened it.

In 1901–1902, Foster began refining his craft in Fort Worth. From these early Texas roots, he went on to dominate the national stage as a pitcher, master strategist, manager, owner of the Chicago American Giants, and ultimately the visionary founder of the Negro National League in 1920. He did not merely play the game — he structured it, protected it, financed it, and institutionalized Black baseball excellence at a time when Major League Baseball remained segregated.

Because of Foster, Black baseball was not scattered talent — it became an organized economic and cultural force.

The Royal Lineage of Fort Worth Excellence

The Hidden Crowns exhibition now celebrates four towering figures whose impact spans players, coaches, managers, military heroes, and civic leaders:

Andrew Rube Foster: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/fort-worth/article286890325.html

• Dominant early 20th-century pitcher
• Strategic mastermind and championship manager
• Owner of the Chicago American Giants
• Founder of the Negro National League (1920)
• Architect of Black baseball’s business infrastructure

Foster created opportunity where none existed. He built stadium schedules, negotiated contracts, enforced discipline, and proved that Black ownership and executive leadership could thrive in professional sports decades before integration.

L.D. Goo Goo Livingston: https://blacktexans.blogspot.com/2026/02/the-diamond-badge-and-flag-honoring.html

• Standout at I.M. Terrell High School in Fort Worth
• Wiley College baseball star (HBCU excellence)
• Player for the Kansas City Monarchs and New York Black Yankees
• United States Army Sergeant during World War II
• Harlem Police Officer after military service

Livingston represents what Pastor Tatum calls the “Trifecta of Triumph” — excellence in athletics, military service, and law enforcement during segregation. He competed at elite levels on the diamond while also defending democracy abroad and protecting community at home.

Louis Santop: https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/santop-louis

• One of the most feared power hitters of the Deadball Era
• Elite catcher known as a field general
• Star attraction who drew thousands to ballparks

Santop was not simply a player — he was a gate attraction. His offensive power and defensive leadership helped professionalize the catcher position in Negro League play. He became one of the early superstars whose popularity proved that Black baseball could generate massive crowds and economic impact.

Eddie Douglass: https://grokipedia.com/page/eddie_douglass

• Dominant pitcher for elite Negro League clubs
• Competitor against some of the greatest lineups in Black baseball
• Representative of Fort Worth’s deep pitching legacy

Douglass embodied the discipline and strategic brilliance of Negro League pitching. In an era when teams barnstormed across America, often playing multiple games per week under grueling conditions, pitchers like Douglass sustained excellence while carrying enormous workloads.

Why This Is Bigger Than Baseball

These men were not merely athletes.

They were:

• Entrepreneurs
• Military servicemen
• Law enforcement officers
• Cultural ambassadors
• Economic builders
• Community role models

They performed at All-Star levels while denied access to Major League Baseball because of segregation. Yet instead of disappearing, they built their own league — with owners, managers, payroll systems, championship structures, and national followings.

They turned exclusion into excellence.

A Call to Fort Worth — and Beyond

Hidden Crowns of Cowtown is more than an exhibit.

It is:

• A traveling educational experience
• A youth inspiration platform
• A historical preservation movement
• A Semiquincentennial celebration of American resilience

Pastor Kyev P. Tatum, Sr., and the team at New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church and the Ministers Justice Coalition of Texas invite educators, civic leaders, corporations, alumni groups, veterans, baseball fans, and media partners to join this historic effort.

This is Fort Worth’s opportunity to say:

We know our history.

We honor our sons.

We celebrate excellence — even when America did not.

Join the Movement

We are building:

• Traveling exhibitions across Texas
• School curriculum partnerships
• Public commemorations at historic sites
• Baseball heritage celebrations
• Community restoration initiatives

As America marks 250 years of independence, Fort Worth can lead the nation in remembering those who built greatness when the doors were closed.

This is not just history.

This is legacy.

This is royalty without crowns.

This is Hidden Crowns of Cowtown.

For partnership and participation opportunities, contact Pastor Kyev P. Tatum, Sr. at 817-966-7625, kptatum1@gmail.com, www.newmountrose.com

Let’s build something legendary together.