In 1955, the Cannon Street YMCA Little League baseball team was the only one of its kind in the nation that consisted of African-American boys. White Little League teams in South Carolina refused to play them, and because they did not want to forfeit, the white teams formed their own program, Dixie Baseball for Boys.
The mass exodus left only one legal team in the state, The Cannon Street Boys, who were able to advance to the World Series, but did not play a single game because the team never technically played a game; they made their way based on forfeits.
The original team members were commemorated at the 2002 Little League World Series with a banner. Presently, a film titled The Cannon Street Boys is in the making to tell their story. The film will consist of actors from the Charleston area. The movie is currently being cast. Filming is expected to end in October. —Caitlin Baker
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