New Jersey’s Negro Leagues stars, including the Pennington All Stars, above, are the focus of a new exhibit opening Friday, August 8, at the Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum.
It’s the middle of summer, which means that baseball season is in full swing — at the ballpark and beyond. The Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum (SSAAM) in Skillman gets into the action with its newest exhibit, “All Stars: Black Baseball in New Jersey and Beyond,” which opens with a special reception on Friday, August 8.
The installation, developed with support from the Somerset Patriots, the New York Yankees’ Double-A affiliate, highlights the stories, struggles, and triumphs of African American baseball players who shaped the game against the backdrop of segregation and exclusion.
The exhibit includes never-before-seen letters from Paul “Beetle” Arnold, a standout player in the Negro Leagues, that inspired the exhibit when they were discovered by an area resident a few years ago. Born in Hopewell in 1903, Arnold was active in the Negro Leagues from 1926 to 1936, playing left and center fields for teams including the Hilldale Club, Brooklyn Royal Giants, New York Lincoln Giants, Newark Browns, Newark Dodgers, and New York Cubans. He was selected to the league’s all-star team in 1935. He died in his hometown in 1979 at the age of 75.
At the opening reception, SSAAM will also premiere an original short film by curators and historian Isabela Morales featuring the oral histories of community members who knew Arnold, Brooklyn Dodgers star Roy Campanella — who spent nearly a decade playing in the Negro Leagues before making his Major League debut in 1948 — and other local baseball legends.
Letters from Pennington-born baseball player Paul Arnold inspired the exhibit.
Through personal artifacts, photographs, and first-hand accounts, “All Stars” explores the rich legacy of Black baseball in New Jersey and beyond. It honors the Black ballplayers who built their own leagues, followed their own paths, and challenged the norms of America’s pastime with both skill and spirit.
“There was a different kind of baseball,” says Patricia Payne, SSAAM Board member and lifelong baseball fan. “Part of that would be base-stealing and speed of the game that showed off their talent. Unfortunately, this talent was never allowed to fully participate in the major leagues.”
The public is invited to join the celebration at the opening reception on Friday, August 8, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at 183 Hollow Road, Skillman. Light refreshments will be served. Tickets, $28.52, are available via EventBrite.
The exhibit is also open for free viewing on Saturday, August 9, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Mt. Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church at 189 Hollow Road, Skillman. The exhibit will remain on view through June, 2026.
For tickets or more information, visit ssaamuseum.org/all-stars-exhibit.
