THE DIAMOND, THE BADGE, AND THE FLAG. Honoring the Life and Legacy of Sergeant L.D. “Goo Goo” Livingston of Fort Worth, Texas. Memorial Day — May 25, 2026. Tarrant County, Texas.

THE DIAMOND, THE BADGE, AND THE FLAG. Honoring the Life and Legacy of Sergeant L.D. “Goo Goo” Livingston of Fort Worth, Texas. 

Memorial Day — May 25, 2026

New Trinity Cemetery • Haltom City, Texas

Globe Life Field • Arlington, Texas

By Pastor Kyev P. Tatum, Sr.

Publisher, Black Texans, Inc.

FORT WORTH, TEXAS — This Is Our Story.

Before he wore a Major League-caliber uniform.

Before he carried a badge in Harlem.

Before he saluted beneath the American flag as a United States Army Sergeant.

He was a Fort Worth son.

Sergeant L.D. “Goo Goo” Livingston did not merely represent Black baseball.

He represented Cowtown grit.

He embodied Panther City pride.

He reflected the excellence forged in the halls of I.M. Terrell High School.

On Memorial Day — May 25, 2026 — as America begins its 250th anniversary celebration, Fort Worth will do what Fort Worth does best:

We will honor our own.

Fort Worth Raised: The Legacy of I.M. Terrell

Born and raised in Fort Worth during the harsh realities of Jim Crow, Lewis Davis Livingston came of age in a city that demanded resilience and cultivated strength.

He graduated from historic I.M. Terrell High School — the pride of Black Fort Worth — a school that produced scholars, civic leaders, educators, athletes, and pillars of character.

I.M. Terrell was more than a campus.

It was a proving ground.

It was a forge.

From those classrooms and ball fields, Livingston’s talent blossomed. He continued his development at Wiley College, one of Texas’ great HBCUs and a cradle of Black intellectual and athletic achievement.

And from there, Fort Worth’s own stepped onto the national stage.

The Diamond: Major Talent in a Segregated Era

He wore the uniform of the legendary Kansas City Monarchs — the gold standard of Negro League excellence.

He competed with the New York Black Yankees in the nation’s largest media market.

In 1932, he joined the powerhouse Pittsburgh Crawfords, standing shoulder to shoulder with legends such as Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson.

Pause and consider that.

A young man from Fort Worth.

From I.M. Terrell.

From our neighborhoods.

Standing among baseball royalty.

These were elite athletes barred from Major League Baseball because of race — yet they built institutions, filled stadiums, and defined excellence anyway.

When Major League Baseball officially recognized Negro League statistics as Major League records in 2024, it confirmed what Fort Worth had always known:

Our son was major.

The Badge: Duty Beyond Applause

Livingston’s life did not end at the outfield fence.

He later served as a Harlem police officer during one of the most transformative periods in American urban history.

Harlem was culture and complexity.

Harlem was art and activism.

Harlem was resilience under pressure.

To wear a badge there required courage, steadiness, and moral clarity.

He chose responsibility over recognition.

Service over spotlight.

Integrity over convenience.

The discipline forged in Fort Worth classrooms and ball fields traveled with him wherever he went.

The Flag: A Sergeant in World War II

When World War II demanded defenders, Livingston answered.

He enlisted in the United States Army and rose to the rank of Sergeant.

Black servicemen of that generation fought fascism abroad while enduring discrimination at home. Yet they served with valor, dignity, and honor.

He defended on the field.

He defended in the streets.

He defended on foreign soil.

Three uniforms.

One unwavering spirit of service.

And through every chapter, he carried Fort Worth with him.

Sacred Ground: Fort Worth’s Moral Memory

Today, Sergeant Livingston rests at historic New Trinity Cemetery in Haltom City — sacred ground for Black Fort Worth and Tarrant County.

More than 500 Black veterans are buried there:

Buffalo Soldiers.

Civil War veterans.

World War I patriots.

World War II heroes.

This is not forgotten land.

This is Fort Worth’s moral memory.

On Memorial Day 2026, civic leaders, veterans, law enforcement officers, baseball fans, clergy, and families from every background will gather to celebrate a hometown hero.

And later that day, at Globe Life Field in Arlington, the diamond will echo once more with his name — proof that Fort Worth’s legacy reaches far beyond city limits.

From sacred cemetery ground to Major League turf.

From Haltom City to Arlington.

From Fort Worth to history.

Fort Worth at 250

As America commemorates 250 years of independence, we are called to reflect on those who sustained this nation across generations.

Sergeant Livingston represents:

• Fort Worth excellence

• I.M. Terrell pride

• Negro League greatness

• Military courage

• Law enforcement service

• Texas resilience

His life reminds us that the American story includes sons of Fort Worth who gave their very best — even when the nation did not always give its best in return.

Preservation Is Fort Worth Patriotism

At Black Texans, Inc., we believe:

To preserve history is to honor home.

To restore a grave is to restore dignity.

To tell the full story is to strengthen the city we love.

Sergeant L.D. “Goo Goo” Livingston played with excellence.

Served with honor.

Lived with purpose.

He was not merely a Negro League great.

He was not merely a Harlem officer.

He was not merely a World War II Sergeant.

He was Fort Worth.

And on May 25, 2026 —

under open skies at New Trinity Cemetery

and beneath the bright lights of Major League Baseball —

Fort Worth will stand tall.

The diamond.

The badge.

The flag.

One hometown hero.

One extraordinary life.

One enduring Fort Worth legacy.

About the Author

Pastor Kyev P. Tatum, Sr. is the Senior Pastor of New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas; President of the Ministers Justice Coalition of Texas; and Publisher of Black Texans, Inc. A recognized civic leader, historian, and community advocate, Pastor Tatum has devoted his ministry and public work to preserving African American military and civic history across Tarrant County and beyond.

In 2025, he attended the Congressional Gold Medal Ceremonies in Washington, D.C., honoring both the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion and the 369th Infantry Regiment (Harlem Hellfighters), further strengthening his commitment to ensuring that the stories of Black servicemen and women receive national recognition.

Through historic cemetery restorations, national memorial tributes, workforce development initiatives, and editorial leadership, he has helped elevate untold stories of Black excellence in uniform, in public service, and in community life.

A graduate of the University of North Texas School of Community Service, Pastor Tatum is widely known for his faith-driven leadership, historical preservation advocacy, and economic empowerment initiatives serving Fort Worth’s 76104 community and communities throughout Texas.

He believes that preserving history is an act of justice — and that telling the full story strengthens the soul of a city and the future of a nation.