Cubs Charities Black History Month Leaders

Mariah Danielle Muskin photo provided by Cubs organization
Mariah Danielle Muskin photo provided by Cubs organization

 Cubs Charities Black History Month Leaders

Coach Tristan Hannah began coaching with Cubs RBI in the
winter of 2020. After graduatingfrom college Tristan says he knew
coaching was going to be the right fit. “I played for Cubs RBIwhen I
was in high school, and after doing my research on where the program currently was, IknewthatIwantedtobeapartofthisprogramagain.”
Thisyear, astheassistantcoachforthe 15u baseball team, Tristan gets to share with his players the importance of Black HistoryMonth, saying this February is about highlighting and celebrating Black culture. “Our
culture hasinfluencedmusic,fashion,andsportsallovertheglobe,
andIthinkitdeservesmorerecognition for that. I am very proud to be Black and to represent my culture.” Tristan iscurrently a graduate student aiming to have a career as a Mental Performance Consultant in thesportsfield.

Students
Kyle Williams was nominated for the Cubs Scholars program in 2017. The East Garfield Parkresident says being a Cubs Scholar has had a tremendous impact on his life. “It developed meinto the student I am today and instilled in me the confidence to go out and achieve
greatsuccess.” Black History Month is important to Kyle because it highlights the many achievementsof Black Americans that often get overlooked or forgotten.

“It’s a time when we get to celebratethe impact Black Americans have made in American history. As a Black man entering thejournalism profession, I understand how important representation is.” A senior journalism majorat Knox College, Kyle says Cubs Charities gave
him the opportunity to find success in his chosencareer path. “From the time I wanted to enter the sports media industry, the staff at CubsCharities made every opportunity available for me to connect with professionals in my field,meetwiththeCubsProductionstaff,andgetexposure.”

Mariah Danielle Muskin started playing in Cubs RBI in 2020. Through Mariah’s high schoolcoach, she was introduced to Cubs RBI, playing pitcher and outfielder. What stands out most toMariah about the program is its culture of inclusivity, which helps foster
stronger bonds in theBlack community.

For Black History Month, Mariah says the music, food, and
beauty aspects ofthe Black community gives her a feeling of pride.
“Black History Month to me means bringinghonor, justice, and appreciation to everything and everyone that was oppressed in earlierhistory.”

Besides participating with Cubs Charities, Mariah is currently
in college, developing apresentationonMartinLutherKingJr.
fortheschool’smediapage.

Joshua Purnell started with the Cubs RBI program from 2015-2019.
Joshua says at first it wasa bit challenging to find an elite baseball program where he felt truly comfortable and a part oftheteambutCubsRBIsteppedupinabigway.“Iwasabletoworkhardonthefield, developa strong camaraderie with my teammates, and eventually represent the Cubs Charities RBI All-Star team as a
captain and leader. This is a time to reflect on and honestly discuss
America’shistory of oppression and racism, but then to celebrate and
promote the strength of our peopleto endure, overcome, and realize
end goals,” says Joshua. “My people and culture built anduplifted
our country, even when our country didn’t value or accept us as human beings. AfricanAmericans have helped propel American
society forward through medical, technological, andagricultural
advancements.” Joshua is currently a junior studying civil engineering at LipscombUniversity.

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