An excerpt from my new book…

White Fences Black Stars

A historical fiction of the Negro Leagues

Playing in Cuba
Heath was working out his considerable biceps with dumbbells made with coffee cans and sand. Gooch and Wilkinson were each jumping rope. It was late July in Chicago, and our trio was visiting a park that “colored people” were “allowed” to frequent.
Heath started talking about the dearth of playing gigs, “Where are all the jobs, brothers?”
Wilkinson didn’t have any ideas, but Gooch chimed in, “I’ve been looking into this, men, and I think we should go down to Cuba, to play in the mixed games there.”
“With the Latino men?” Heath queried.
“Yes, I’ve heard of integrated winter leagues.” Gooch replied.
“You mean it’s cold in the Caribbean when it’s cold up here? I thought the climate was warmer in the south” Wilkinson was perplexed.
“Sorry, no, when I said winter, I was referring to our winter months here in the USA. The weather in Cuba is in the seventies and eighties during our winter.”
Heath understood, “So you mean we get summer here and then summer there when it’s cold here?” He said hopefully.
Gooch replied, “Yes, brother Heath, not only are the Cubans less racist, but we’ll enjoy warm weather while it’s windy and freezing up here…”
“Sign me up, Gooch!” Heath didn’t hesitate.
Wilkinson was more circumspect. “You want to uproot the families to have some nicer weather?” Heath, of course, did not have a wife and children.
“Not at all, Wilke; we’ll go down for a few months, the elders will watch over our families, and after we’ve made some good money and enjoyed the better racial climate, we’ll come back to Chicago, and reunite with our loved ones.
“Hmm, that might work… “ Wilkinson admitted.

White Fences Black Stars (on Amazon)