2015 Atlanta Braves Heritage Weekend to take place June 19-20

The third annual Atlanta Braves Heritage Weekend will take place June 19-20, during the Braves series with the New York Mets. Heritage Weekend celebrates Atlanta's strong and rich history in the Civil Rights Movement, and highlights the impact baseball has had in changing society. This year's Heritage Weekend is presented by Bank of America, the Center for Civil and Human Rights, Delta Air Lines and Grady Hospital.

The weekend will include the Hank Aaron Champion for Justice Award Ceremony presented by Delta Air Lines; a pregame ceremony to honor the 2015 Hank Aaron Champion for Justice Award winners; a Fantasy Camp presented by Bank of America; pregame and postgame concerts; and a special pregame ceremony to honor Negro League players presented by Grady Hospital.

The events kick off on Friday, June 19, with the Hank Aaron Champion for Justice Award Ceremony presented by Delta Air Lines at the Center for Civil and Human Rights. The 2015 Hank Aaron Champion for Justice Award will be presented to four outstanding individuals who have made a lifelong commitment to overcoming industry obstacles and inspiring future generations.

The 2015 award winners include: civil rights activist Rev. Dr. Bernard Lafayette, Jr., Rutgers University women's basketball coach Vivian Stringer, retired Detroit Tigers legend Willie Horton, and Medal of Freedom recipient Congressman John Lewis. 

Following the award presentation, the winners will participate in a panel discussion on the role of athletes in challenging discrimination and societal barriers. The panel will be moderated by Atlanta broadcasting legend and award-winning journalist Monica Kauffman Pearson.

Before Friday night's game, all four Hank Aaron Champion for Justice Award winners will take part in an on-field pregame ceremony.

The weekend continues on Saturday, June 20, with a Fantasy Camp for high school students aiming to pursue baseball at the collegiate level. They will be coached by Braves alumni during the camp, which takes place in the morning at Turner Field, and is presented by Bank of America.

Before the Braves play the Mets that evening, Atlanta native Yung Joc will perform a pregame concert in Fan Plaza, and later, players from the Negro League will take to the field to be honored in a pregame ceremony presented by Grady Hospital.

Following the ceremony, the Atlanta Braves will don the Atlanta Black Crackers uniform while their opponents will wear the Brooklyn Royal Giants uniforms to honor the Negro League. The Atlanta Black Crackers jerseys will be autographed by Braves players following the game and will be auctioned off from June 22-July 5 on www.Braves.com/charityauctions to benefit the Atlanta Braves Foundation.

Fans can also enjoy a free postgame concert that night featuring Boyz II Men as part of the Summer Concert Series presented by Coca-Cola and Delta Air Lines to cap off the weekend.

For additional information about Heritage Weekend, visit www.Braves.com/heritage.