ST. LOUIS — Traveling from city to city, and even to Canada, is the NHL’s Black History Mobile Museum.
“This truck is very important for kids to come and see because it’s all about role models and being able to see yourself in positions that you may traditionally not think you were a part of,” NHL curator Kwame Mason said.
When hockey is mentioned, you often think of Canadian players. Of course, Americans, but not necessarily black people.
“I can tell you that black people have been playing hockey since the 1800s,” Mason said.
Guys like Mason are opening eyes and creating conversation this All-Star Weekend. He said he doesn’t get offended when people aren’t informed about black players in hockey history. Instead he sees it as a golden opportunity.
“One of the things I like to tell people who do say something like that is 'do you realize, the very first organized sports league for blacks was not baseball, it was hockey.'"
As the truck travels across the nation, guys like Mason get to drop knowledge on the youth and those interested.
“When someone says 'hey, I didn’t know,' that means there’s an opportunity to learn and to teach and to spread the beautiful game,” Mason said.
That’s why Mason is doing his part to make sure every kid, especially those of color, knows if they want to play, there’s an opportunity.
“You know, we have a saying that hockey is for everyone,” Mason said. “The game of hockey has always been diverse. Maybe not as diverse as we want it to be, it just has to be a little bit more inclusive."
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