Washington Nationals Ownership Includes Seven Prominent African Americans

Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Rodney E. Slater, pictured.

“An accomplished and business savvy group of 10 chosen to be the new minority investors of the Washington Nationals baseball team includes seven blacks who’ve made names for themselves in a variety of fields, including government affairs, broadcasting and banking. The group was announced last week as investors, joining Maryland real estate developer Theodore Lerner, whose family was selected by Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig to purchase the team at a price reported to be around $450 million.

Baseball’s new Magnificent Seven are Black Entertainment Television’s Paxton K. Baker, football commentator James Brown, banking executives Alphonso Maldon, Jr. and B. Doyle Mitchell, Jr., former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Rodney E. Slater, lobbyist and businessman Jarvis C. Stewart, and entrepreneur Faye F. Fields, the lone sister of the group.“

Slowly but surely, TheStateOf . . . Blacks in Sports is changing from gladiator to Owner. It is far better to sit in the stands with Ceasar than to go to be fed to lions on the floor of the Coliseum. African Americans should own more sports teams, television distribution deals and other money-generating sports and entertainment assets. Every black athlete should have a black agent, a black lawyer and a black financial advisor.