Syncopated Hits: The Clef Club Negro Baseball Team in Jazz-Age Paris

Abstract

In February and March 1940, New York Amsterdam News ran a five-part story, 12,000 Nights of Entertainment, on exciting rise and fall of Louis Mitchell's career as a jazz musician and club owner in Paris. To illustrate third installment of story, newspaper published a 1924 photograph of eleven African American ballplayers, one of whom was Mitchell, all resplendent in their new spring uniforms. (1) The team's young mascot, Jackie, sat in front of players sporting a uniform and holding some equipment. Two overlapping Cs were prominent on upper left side of uniforms, signifying team's name: Clef Club, named for James Reese Europe's New York music space and booking agency for African American musicians. But this ball team did not play in New York--or in United States for that matter; rather, it was an all--African American team that played in Paris in 1924 and 1925. Its players, with notable exception of Rayford Logan, who would become a prominent civil rights activist and professor at Howard University, were musicians who worked jazz clubs of Montmartre. (2) A great many African Americans served in France during World War I. The American military was segregated and largely distrusted black soldiers. The French, by contrast, warmly received these soldiers, displaying little to no racism, even when black soldiers socialized with French women. (3) Moreover, when James Reese Europe joined New York 369th Infantry Regiment, more affectionately called Harlem Hellfighters, he was specifically tasked with forming hottest band possible, and he did. Although 369th fought bravely and was rightfully decorated by France for their valor, their greater cultural impact was introducing jazz music to French during war. (4) After war, French celebrated life, and jazz became soundtrack to les annies folles, crazy years, roaring twenties. Given harsh racial climate in United States after war and opportunities for work and racial equality in France, a number of African Americans traveled to France during 1920S. In Paris Noir, Tyler Stovall argues, the African American community in Paris symbolizes potential of African American life in general once it is fully liberated from shackles of racism. (5) Many African Americans flourished in Paris, and we rightly celebrate their cultural contributions to music, art, literature, and social thought. (6) The Clef Club baseball team and Paris Baseball League, also known as Paris International League, ostensibly left racism off field, thus foreshadowing potential African Americans would have in post--World War II amateur and professional sports--and in America. In early summer 1914, Louis Mitchell arrived in London to play drums with his Southern Symphony Quintette in a Piccadilly restaurant. He immediately made a splash, but gig lasted only a few weeks--when World War broke out, Mitchell and his band evacuated home to New York. But Mitchell did not stay stateside long; he was back in London in spring 1915 playing drums at Ciro's, a celebrated club. (7) Soon Mitchell was touring Britain with his band, Seven Spades, just as Americans began flowing into Europe to join war effort. Of course where Americans went, baseball followed--as did American racism. Recreational baseball leagues were quickly established, such as Military Hospital Baseball League, which sponsored a game between America and Canada on October 31, 1917, in Belfast. Mitchell, an avid ballplayer, tried to play with American team, only to be refused by a southerner who exclaimed, I won't play with that nigger. (8) Indeed he didn't--for a while. On game day, Mitchell sat in stands, merely a spectator, but in seventh inning American pitcher was injured. The manager had to choose either to forfeit game or, ad hoc, to integrate team; he wasted no time putting Mitchell on mound. …