Throughout Jerry Reinsdorf's 44-year ownership tenure, the Chicago White Sox have taken a leadership role within Major League Baseball and across all sports in the arena of diversity and inclusion.
From philanthropy efforts across Chicagoland and an ongoing commitment to partner with diverse businesses, to work celebrating and empowering underserved community groups on the field and in the front office, the club passionately and proudly promotes equality, fosters positive social change and stands against racism in all its forms.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion + Belonging
From serving as the home of the historic East-West Negro League All-Star Game from 1933-60 at Old Comiskey Park, to employing one of MLB's first female scouts (Bessie Largent from 1925-43), to becoming the first MLB team to hire an African American general manager (Ken Williams) and manager (Jerry Manuel), the White Sox have a long history of supporting diversity on and off the field.
The organization’s commitment to the community is about fostering a sense of belonging for every fan at the ballpark while embracing a responsibility to positively impact those most in need. A diversity of views and opinions only makes our team and community stronger. Take a look through the growing legacy of White Sox moments of diversity on the field.
Included below is a list of the many honors and awards presented to Jerry Reinsdorf and the White Sox for the organization’s commitment to diversity:
Diversity on the Field
The White Sox organization's ACE youth baseball program has helped send more than 290 players from some of Chicago's toughest neighborhoods to college, including an NCAA National Champion and two first-round draft picks.
In 2024, assistant general manager Josh Barfield, play-by-play announcer John Schriffen, Sox players and members of the coaching staff joined student-athletes from the ACE program for a tour of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri. The group spent the weekend learning about the Leagues’ biggest pioneers and trailblazing clubs and attended White Sox batting practice prior to watching the team’s matchup at Kauffman Stadium.
Diversity in Business
Diverse Business Partner Program
Reinsdorf, who long served on MLB's equal opportunity committee, was instrumental in the creation of baseball's $2 billion Diverse Business Partners program in 1998. The White Sox feature one of baseball's best Supplier Diversity Utilization Rates, an organization's supplier diversity spend percentage compared to the total suppliers' spend.
The White Sox are proud to support our Diverse Business Partners:
- Aberdeen Group
- American Heritage Supplies
- API; Advertising Premium & Incentives Company
- Aztec Supply & Service
- C&H Baseball
- Christy Webber Landscapes
- Collins Sports Medicine
- Complex Network Solutions
- Continental Painting & Decorating
- Cushing Co.
- Eagle Promotions
- Eco Lighting Services
- Excel Screen Printing/Embroidery
- Forward Space
- Helendora Samuels Picture Framing
- Konik & Co.
- Levy Recognition
- Lightiteck
- Luna Security
- M&G Graphics
- Mail Everything
- McFarlane Douglass
- Meadows Office Supply
- MNJ Technologies
- NOVA Innovation Group
- Pluie
- Pro-Am Team Sports
- Sportswear Unlimited
- Success Promotions
- Tailor-Rite: Dry cleaning and clothing care located at 8459 S. Cottage Grove Ave, Chicago, IL 60619
- Taylor Electric Company
- US Compliance Center
- U.S. Messenger
- Windy City Silkscreen: custom printing and embroidery services at 2715 S. Archer, Chicago, IL 60608
Inspiring Social Change
Formed in 2017 by the five major Chicago sports teams, the CSA has provided more than $10 million to battle the city’s gun violence by helping agencies that support at-risk communities.
This series advocates for diversity and inclusion in sports, welcoming community members to the ballpark for insightful discussions focused on a range of topics, including race, culture and sports to cultivating the LGBTQ+ sports community through leadership.
The White Sox are committed to building a welcoming environment for all people by introducing programming that drives positive social change in the community. “BasebALL: One Game for All” is a White Sox diversity, inclusion and belonging initiative that emphasizes the importance of being kind to others, advocating for the acceptance of individual differences through the shared language of sports.
Empowering Communities
Chicago White Sox Charities annually aids hundreds of thousands of Chicagoans through its many donations and charity outreach to agencies across the community. Other impactful empowerment examples include:
Now in its second decade of making a positive, lasting impact on the people and organizations within underserved neighborhoods of Chicago, the White Sox Volunteer Corps has participated in more than 630 events, from school and social service center beautification projects to park clean-ups and builds in partnership with the Chicago Park District. Approximately 16,000+ Volunteer Corps members have logged more than 65,000 hours of service!
Multicultural Community Outreach
Hispanic community involvement: The White Sox create strong connections to the communities throughout Chicagoland, seeking to celebrate culture, support local partners and neighborhoods through partnerships with organizations, including Chosen Few DJs, Fiesta del Sol, local Chambers of Commerce and more.
African American community involvement: The organization also has created programming to honor the history and achievements of African Americans who helped forge a path in baseball and beyond. This support includes initiatives such as the Jackie Robinson Student Contest, content partnerships with historian Shermann Dilla Thomas among other notable influencers, the Double Duty Classic, the RBI and ACE youth baseball programs and events commemorating the Negro Leagues.
Fostering Inclusive Spaces
The White Sox offer ballpark spaces to make every guest’s experience enjoyable like a Sensory Room, newly installed sensory pods, a Mother’s Nursing Room and more.
The Sensory Room features a quiet space with elements, such as textured walls and specialized lighting, as well as tools like weighted lap blankets to help guests alleviate sensory overload. In addition, the White Sox providing training to educate staff about helping guests with sensory issues, earning its Sensory Inclusive Certification from KultureCity.
Juneteenth 2024
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Marking the Juneteenth holiday, the Sox collaborated with former second baseman and multidisciplinary artist Micah Johnson on artwork inspired by ACE athletes’ creative input. Following a brainstorming session and honest discussion on Black liberation, Johnson wove the players’ perspectives into a T-Shirt and commemorative patch design that mirrored individuals’ aspirations both on and off the field. The finished creations featured an iteration of Johnson’s digital character, Aku, as seen on the cover of Time Magazine in 2022, and were worn by White Sox and ACE team members throughout the Sox homestand.
Community Partners
The White Sox have teamed up with community partners who are committed to supporting the under-resourced communities of Chicago. The following is a list of partners we recommend learning more about their efforts. With a donation to Chicago White Sox Charities, you can support the work of these non-profits and their important work.
White Sox front office staff had the opportunity to request CWSC grant support for non-profit organizations that they are deeply passionate about. Established in 2018, Sox Give has awarded $255,000 in funding to organizations nominated and selected by employees - including $70,000 to 11 agencies during the last grant cycle.
