He faced discrimination playing softball in Cape Breton. They want his legacy to be recognized

Two Nova Scotians have made it their mission to get a Black softball player inducted into the Cape Breton Sport Hall of Fame.

Arnold (Lucky) Campbell, who was born and raised in Glace Bay, played fast-pitch softball in the 1940s and 1950s.

He’s remembered in part for the array of positions he played on a four-man team called the Glace Bay Rockets. He was the team’s fifth member, and their only Black player.

“Lucky played ball — good ball, excellent ball,” Mary Desmond told CBC Radio’s Mainstreet Halifax.

“And Black African Nova Scotians couldn’t get on white teams unless he was the best, and better than any of the other team members.”

Desmond, a councillor for the Municipality of the District of Guysborough, learned of Campbell while doing research for a community newsletter in Glace Bay years ago.

But his name recently came up again when she met his daughter, Evelyn Sims. 

Sims told her that only one of the Glace Bay Rockets had been inducted into the Cape Breton Sport Hall of Fame, but she would’ve liked to see the whole team honoured, including her father.

That’s when they decided to campaign for Campbell’s induction.

“Just for him to be recognized would be an accomplishment by the whole family,” Sims told Mainstreet.

“That’s something that we would love to see happen because … I want him recognized to show who he was and how good of a player he really was.”

Sims said her father started playing ball when he was a kid, joining teams from Glace Bay to New Waterford, including the Universal Nines, an all-Black team.

“His performance throughout the years, as far as I can remember, it was astounding,” she said.

Desmond said she found information and statistics about Campbell’s ball career in the Cape Breton Post. He once posted a .428 batting average.

She said he was incredibly versatile, having played as a pitcher, at first base, infield and outfield. He also served as an umpire and coach during his time in the sport, she said.

But he also faced discrimination and racism, she said. Campbell was often the only African Nova Scotian on his team.

“It was very hard for him because he was replacing a Caucasian person on that team, so the hostility wasn’t just off the field, it was on the field because you were replaced in someone that was supposed to be playing that position,” Desmond said.

“So it was difficult, but when you were that good, they knew that they needed you, but I’ll tell you in that dugout, it wasn’t very friendly.”

Desmond said she also discovered that Campbell completed one of the first — if not the first — triple play in Cape Breton softball. 

A triple play is when a defensive team records three outs during the same play.

“They are not good [stats]. They’re excellent. These stats are excellent stats,” Desmond said. 

“That’s why I compare Lucky to Jackie Robinson. I call him our Jackie Robinson because he fought discrimination. He fought hostile crowds, he fought unequal treatment on and off the field.”

How to nominate someone

To get someone into the Cape Breton Sport Hall of Fame, the person must be nominated through an online application. It asks for a list of achievements, career records, honours and awards, and any related documentation.

Barry Verbeski said making a case for an induction into the Hall of Fame can be challenging.

He spent years writing biographies about Cape Breton Sport Hall of Fame inductees for annual souvenir booklets, which involved researching athletes and verifying statistics. 

“It’s not enough to say he was an elite ball player,” Verbeski told Mainstreet, adding that finding supporting information about certain players can be difficult. 

But that doesn’t mean Campbell wasn’t a strong player for the Rockets.

“I can tell you this, that four-man ball team was Sam Wareham’s team. Very, very proud man. He would only put the best on his team,” he said.

Verbeski said he doesn’t recall Campbell ever being nominated for the Cape Breton Sport Hall of Fame or the Glace Bay Sport Hall of Fame.

Desmond said she will be working to find more statistics and information about Campbell’s ball career to make a case to the Cape Breton Sport Hall of Fame.

She said she expects plenty of community support, especially after holding a successful softball tournament in his honour last weekend. It was the first annual Lucky Campbell Emancipation Tournament at Sterling Field in Glace Bay.

“Years ago, prejudice was running high … African Nova Scotians were treated unfairly. And it’s time to treat us with some respect. The man did his duty. The man was a great ballplayer and he deserves to be in that Hall of Fame.”

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.