Aniekan Udofia Negro League Baseball Mural

At this spot in 2018, the renowned artist Aniekan Udofia unveiled a mural of legends who played in the Negro Baseball League which includes Mamie "Peanut" Johnson, Josh Gibson, and the Homestead Grays. It is located in Washington D.C. on the backside of Ben’s Chili Bowl which is a popular area in D.C. The mural was unveiled only in 2018, but the significance of the mural and the content included remembers players in the Negro League all the way back to the early 1950’s. A few notable players are at the forefront of the mural which are Mamie “Peanut” Johnson and Josh Gibson. The mural also has the the Washington Grays on it too as this was a Washington D.C. team that was in the Negro Leagues. "Peanut" is a historical player for being a female that was better than many of her male teammates, Gibson was known as the African American Babe Ruth, and The 1931 Grays were known to many as the greatest baseball team to exist.

The mural that is located behind Ben’s Chili Bowl was finished in the middle of July in 2018 right before the all-star game that was being hosted by the Nationals in Washington D.C. The mural was dedicated in the remembrance of Mamie "Peanut" Johnson as she had passed away not even a year before the mural was created. It was significant timing because people from all over the country travel to watch the all-star game and putting this mural in one of the busiest locations in the area meant there would be a lot of people that could take in its beauty. The mural’s main focus is on Mamie “Peanut” Johnson who was the first female pitcher in the Negro Leagues in 1953. She played for the Indianapolis Clowns and was one of only three female players to play in the Negro League. The other important figure in the mural is Josh Gibson who was a 12-time all-star in the Negro Leagues and played for the Homestead Grays. The mural also depicts the Washington Grays, which was a Negro Leagues team who played their home games in Washington D.C. though they were based out of Homestead, Pennsylvania.

The artist, Aniekan Udofia, is well known around Washington D.C. for having created over 20 beautiful murals across the district. Aniekan was born in Nigeria before moving to Washington D.C. and becoming a comic book enthusiast which the was an influence for him to become an artist. He Is most popular for his murals across the backside of Ben's Chili Bowl which includes over 15 historical African American figures including Barrack and Michelle Obama, Muhammed Ali, Harriet Tubman, Dave Chapelle, Prince and many others. Aniekan continues to show his powerful art off to this day and is a historical figure of his own in Washington D.C. Aniekan was hired by the MLB to make the mural to remember the Negro Leagues and serves as a memorial to "Peanut" Johnson as well.

In the forefront of the mural stand Mamie “Peanut” Johnson. Johnson was from the D.C. area which serves as a special connection to the area. At an early age Johnson knew she was a talented pitcher and she deserved to be a professional, she was even being scouted by Negro Leagues teams when she was only 18! At 5 foot 3 inches, Johnson was not the most intimidating sized person on the field. Her small stature is where the nickname Peanut came from. A player that she was pitching to was yelling out calling her a Peanut and she then went on to strike the batter out embracing the name he had been calling her, she took it with pride rather than embarrassment. Having Mamie “Peanut” Johnson on the mural is important because many people don’t realize that female players were allowed to play in the Negro Leagues. 

Another player that is at the front and center of the mural is Josh Gibson. Gibson played for the Homestead Grays making him a D.C. legend also. Gibson was one of the best players to play in the Negro Leagues and was actually the second player from the Negro Leagues to be inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. Gibson is credited by some as the best hitter to go through the Negro Leagues. Unfortunately Gibson’s time was cut short as he passed away at the age of 35. As a 12-time all-star Gibson was feared by pitches all around and many of the greats to go through the league would say that he was the most powerful hitter they’d ever seen. 

A team picture of the Homestead Grays is also included on the mural. The Homestead Grays were a Negro Leagues team that were based out of Homestead, Pennsylvania, but played their home games in Washington D.C. at Griffith Stadium. The Homestead Grays were always one of the top teams in the Negro Leagues and some say that the 1931 Grays team was the best baseball team ever. The Grays won nine straight league titles and won the Negro Leagues World Series in 1943, 1944, and 1948. As you can tell they were one of the best teams around and had the right to be feared. Until the Washington Nationals won the World Series in 2019, the Grays Negro Leagues World Series victory in 1948 was the last time that D.C. had a championship team. 

People like Josh Gibson and Mamie “Peanut” Johnson are the reason that people of color were finally given the option to play in the MLB. The Homestead Grays also playing a part in showing how they were a powerhouse in the Negro Leagues and that they could even compete in the MLB. They were some of the first and most notable players from the Negro Leagues and paved the way for players who had played in the Negro Leagues and moved to the MLB like Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays, Satchel Page, Earnie Banks, and many more. All of these players I listed ended up being hall-of-famers in the MLB so just imagine how many more African American players could’ve been extremely successful if baseball hadn’t been segregated by skin color.

This mural placed on the backside of Ben’s Chili Bowl in Washington D.C. is extremely important for the Negro Leagues as more and more people are forgetting of its existence. The Negro Leagues was an extremely important step in the right direction for African Americans as this showed many people that African Americans were just as capable of being successful as whites were. It also shows how African Americans were discriminated against, but they never gave up and they fought until they were playing in the same league as white players. The remembrance of the Negro Leagues isn’t all about remembering the baseball aspect of it, but it is a part of African American history and it was just one more hurdle that they were to jump over.

Aimee Cho, News4 Reporter. “Mural Honoring Negro League Legends Unveiled next to Ben's Chili Bowl.” NBC4 Washington. NBC4 Washington, July 12, 2018. https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/mural-honoring-negro-league-legends-unveiled-next-to-bens-chili-bowl/2030331/.

“Mural: Baseball Stars.” Traipse. Accessed October 5, 2021. https://content.traipse.co/content/location/1156. 

“Remembering D.C. Negro Leagues Legend, Mamie 'Peanut' Johnson.” WAMU, February 13, 2020. https://wamu.org/story/20/02/13/mamie-peanut-johnson-remembering-a-d-c-negro-leagues-legend/.

Written by Ashley Mizuo | Published on July 17, 2018. “A New Mural on U Street Honors DC Baseball Legends: Washingtonian (DC).” Washingtonian, July 17, 2018. https://www.washingtonian.com/2018/07/17/a-new-mural-on-u-street-honors-local-baseball-legends/