An oral history of Milwaukee’s Beckum-Stapleton Little League is underway.
Former players, coaches and students from local colleges are working on bringing the project to life.
The goal is to document the history and significance of the Beckum-Stapleton Little League. The nearly 60-year-old organization is the oldest African American little league outside of the South.
Through interviews, programming, interpretative signage and more, people will get a glimpse into how Beckum-Stapleton has touched more than 20,000 lives over the years.
And it all started with Mr. James Beckum.
“If it’s pickin’ paper, mowing the yards, fixin’ the fence, or cutting the grass or doing the field; whatever it takes,” said Mr. James Beckum a decade ago, telling WUWM how he keeps Carver Park on West Brown Street in Milwaukee in tip top shape for the kids in the Beckum-Stapleton Little League.
He said they depended on him for the field’s upkeep, and he didn’t want to disappoint. Beckum has a true love for young people and making them feel respected and valued, he said because sometimes they feel like adults don’t listen to them.
“And sometimes that’s the way it is because we shoo them off and when they bring a suggestion or something nobody wants to hear to listen to it. I think when kids know that you care about them they show you a lot of respect," he said.
In 1964, Beckum's pastor, Rev. E. B. Philips of Greater Galilee Baptist Church, urged Beckum to create an opportunity for young people in Milwaukee to stay out of trouble and get involved. So Beckum, a former Negro League baseball player, naturally started a little league.
Fifty-nine years later, Beckum is 94 years old and UW-Milwaukee, Marquette University, and the Milwaukee School of Engineering are documenting his work with and the impact of the Beckum-Stapleton Little League.
WUWM's Teran Powell spoke with three former Beckum-Stapleton players — Rodney Bourrage, Sr.; Clifford King and Quentin Prince — about how they were introduced to the league and about their time playing.
Former player & coach Rodney Bourrage, Sr.
Sports were always part of Bourrage’s life. He played in the league when he was around 11 or 12 years old, and he coached teams.
Bourrage calls Beckum his hero and says Beckum put him on the team when no one else would.
“Mr. Beckum has done so much for so many people. This city is great because of Mr. Beckum and people like him that came before him and people that’s here now that invest in the city, invest in the people," he says.
Bourrage says if you listen to Mr. Beckum, you can’t go wrong.
Former player & current t-ball coach Clifford King
Clifford King joined the league because his best friend was involved. He joked that he wasn’t the best player, but he adapted. He started around the age of 12 and played through high school.
King been involved with the league in some capacity for more than 25 years — often coaching t-ball.
He says he could only imagine how humbled Beckum is by the experience of having the history documented. King says Beckum has been an instrumental part of the community.
"I think for him to sacrifice as much time and effort and energy, for him it was always about the kids. It was always about getting better and developing them — not just as ball players, but as individuals. And it’s so important that people know that there’s people out there, that although he didn’t have children playing the league, he adopted all of us as his children, you know," he says.
Former player Quentin Prince
Quentin Prince joined Beckum-Stapleton because his dad was a coach. He played from the ages of 7 to 14.
He says Beckum was like a godfather to him. For Prince, some of his fondest memories in the league had nothing to do with playing.
"It was understanding what hard work and determination and commitment looks like at an early age. Mr. Beckum was out there lining the fields, cutting the grass, doing the maintenance of the park and you could count on him to be that person doing that. That’s my first example of what that looks like and so I think Mr. Beckum would definitely appreciate that we’re putting this project together and showing our admiration for him," he says.
For these former Beckum-Stapleton Little League players, this oral history project serves as an opportunity to show just how far the impact of this league goes, celebrate Mr. Beckum and show Milwaukee that this league is still here to wrap its arms around the kids.
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