The Breakfast Club - IDKMYDE: Monrovians vs KKK

Episode Date: February 8, 2025

On todays episode of IDKMYDE we go to 1925, when the all-Black Wichita Monrovians stepped up to the plate against the KKK’s baseball team—and not only did they win, they turned America’s favorite pastime into a civil rights flex. Proof that the best way to shut down hate is to outplay it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Calling all Yellowstone fans. Let's go to work. Join Bobby Bones on the official Yellowstone podcast for exclusive cast interviews, behind the scenes insights, and a deep dive into the themes that have made Yellowstone a cultural phenomenon. Our family legacy is this ranch. I'm the architect of my life. Listen to the official Yellowstone podcast now on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hey, it's Alec Baldwin. This past season on my podcast, Here's the Thing, I spoke with more actors, musicians, policymakers, and so many other fascinating people, like writer and actor, Dan Aykroyd. I love writing more than anything. You're left alone. You do three hours in the morning, you write. Three hours in the afternoon, go pick up a kid from school and write at night, and after nine hours,

you come out with seven pages, and then you're moving on. Listen to Here's the Thing on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. You are cordially invited to the hottest party in professional sports. I'm Tisha Allen, former golf professional and the host of Welcome to the Party,

your newest obsession about the wonderful world that is women's golf. Featuring interviews with top players on tour, tips to help improve your swing, and the craziest stories to come out of your friendly neighborhood country club. Welcome to the Party with Tisha Allen is an iHeart Women's Sports Production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. Listen to Welcome to the Party. That's P-A-R-T-E-E on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcast,

or wherever you get your podcasts. We all have a moment that splits us wide open. On my new podcast, Wide Open with Ashlyn Harris, I'll sit down with trailblazers from sports, music, fashion, entertainment, and politics to explore their toughest moments and the incredible comebacks that followed. Listen to Wide Open with Ashlyn Harris, an iHeart Women's Sports production on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Presented by Elf Beauty, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports. Have y'all ever heard about the Wichita Monrovians? Well, on today's episode of I Didn't Know, maybe you didn't either, let me take you back to 1925. Picture this, an all-black baseball team taking on the KKK in Kansas. I'm talking about a real game. Bats, balls, bigotry, all on the same field. Sit back so I can share the most gangster sports story you've never heard in your life. Now the Monrovians, not the Moravians.

The Moravians are members of the Moravian Church. The Monrovians refers to the baseball team named after Monrovia Liberia. They were the Wichita Monrovians and it was a Negro league baseball team in the 1920s and they used to put belt to ass. But let me set the scene. It's June. It's hottest fish grease. 102 degrees in the shade and these brothers roll up to play against the Ku Klux Klan's own baseball team. Now first of all, I didn't even know the KKK had a baseball team. You mean to tell me these fools got time to hate and learn how to bunt?

How you multitasking your racism? And get this, both teams agreed to bring in two Irish Catholic umpires, but Catholics was on the Klanans hit list too so basically everybody on that field knew they were playing for more than just runs. This was about proving something. It was black excellence versus white supremacy and y'all know damn well excellence always got a better batting average. So boom the game starts and it's a straight- up dog fight. Great pitching back and forth. But then the Monrovians got hot.

They came through with them clutch hits slid into bases like they was dodging Jim Crow laws. By the end Monrovians win 10-8. They didn't just beat the Klan they embarrassed them. Can you imagine a post game Klan meeting? Now Brother Jebediah you said you could pitch. You had them colors out there smacking balls left and right, Jebediah.

We might have to take your white card, Jebediah. Now, you might think, what's the big deal? Just a baseball game. But nah, this was deeper than that. This is 1925. It wasn't just about sports. This was about black folks standing tall, staring oppression right in the face and

saying we'll beat you at your own game and they did. Now fast forward to today what's the lesson? We still swinging y'all. Every time we excelled in places that they said we couldn't. We're still channeling that Monrovian spirit. So the next time someone tries to play you just remember if the Monrovians can beat the Klan in 1925 you can handle Karen in HR on Monday. You didn't time that because I didn't know. Maybe you didn't either. Calling all Yellowstone fans. Let's go to work. Join Bobby Bones on the official Yellowstone podcast for exclusive cast interviews, behind-the-scenes insights, and a deep dive into the themes that have made Yellowstone a cultural phenomenon. Our family legacy is this ranch.

And I protect it with my life. Listen to the official Yellowstone podcast now on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, it's Alec Baldwin. This past season on my podcast, Here's the Thing, I spoke with more actors, musicians, policymakers and so many other fascinating people like writer and actor Dan Aykroyd. I love writing more than anything. You're left alone. You know, you do three hours in the morning,

you write three hours in the afternoon, go pick up a kid from school and write at night. And after nine hours, you come out with seven pages and then you're moving on. Listen to Here's the Thing on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. You are cordially invited to the hottest party in professional sports. I'm Tisha Allen, former golf professional and the host of Welcome to the Party.

Your newest obsession about the wonderful world that is women's golf, featuring interviews with top players on tour, tips to help improve your swing, and the craziest stories to come out of your friendly neighborhood country club. Welcome to the Party with Tisha Allen as an I Heart Women's Sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. Listen to Welcome to the Party, that's P-A-R-T-E-E

on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. We all have a moment that splits us wide open. On my new podcast, Wide Open with Ashlyn Harris, I'll sit down with trailblazers from sports, music, fashion, entertainment, and politics to explore their toughest moments and the incredible comebacks that followed. Listen to Wide Open with Ashlyn Harris, an iHeart Women's Sports production on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast,

or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Elf Beauty, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports.