Negro Leagues honored in Kansas City and Seattle with museum access and Steelheads tribute

The Royals Foundation will again cover admission to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum for all of February, and the Seattle Mariners will wear replica 1946 Steelheads uniforms on Sundays while launching a $500,000 Steelheads Community Fund.

Kansas City and Seattle are marking Black History Month with tributes to the Negro Leagues that blend museum access and community investment. In Kansas City, the Royals Foundation will cover admission to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum for the entire month of February for the fifth straight year. The museum was founded in 1990 and sits in the 18th and Vine Jazz District near the Paseo YMCA, where Andrew "Rube" Foster formed the Negro National League in 1920. In Seattle, the Mariners will introduce replica 1946 Seattle Steelheads uniforms for Sunday home games beginning in the 2026 season and are creating a Steelheads Community Fund. Key details: - The Royals Foundation will provide free admission to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum for all of February, continuing a program that began in 2022. - Since the program began, more than 50,000 people have visited during Free February, and the foundation's total contribution tied to the initiative now exceeds $435,000, as reported by the Royals. - The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum was founded in 1990 and is located in Kansas City's historic 18th and Vine Jazz District, near the Paseo YMCA where the Negro National League was formed in 1920. - The museum will extend its hours throughout February, opening earlier on weekdays and adding weekend access to accommodate visitors. - The Seattle Mariners will wear replica 1946 Seattle Steelheads uniforms for Sunday home games beginning in the 2026 season, replacing the cream-colored Sunday uniforms worn since 2015 and reported to be the first MLB franchise to include a Negro Leagues uniform in its regular rotation. - The Mariners announced a $500,000 Steelheads Community Fund to support Black-led baseball and softball programs and related community initiatives. Summary: These actions increase public access to Negro Leagues history and direct resources toward local baseball and softball programs. The Royals' free admission and extended museum hours aim to boost attendance in February, and the Mariners' uniform change and community fund are scheduled to take effect in the 2026 season.