Emmett Ashford Breaks Umpiring's Color Line

On February 20, 1952, Emmett Ashford was authorized to work as a substitute umpire in the Southwestern International League, becoming the first Black umpire in organized professional baseball.

Ashford spent more than a decade working his way through the minor leagues before Major League Baseball hired him in 1966, when he became the first Black umpire to work a major league game. He went on to umpire the 1970 World Series before retiring in 1971.

Known for an animated, theatrical style behind the plate at a time when umpires were expected to be inconspicuous, Ashford remains a pioneering figure in baseball officiating, opening the profession to the Black umpires who followed him in the decades after his retirement.