Bronx Children’s Museum and The Players Alliance unveil inspiring mural celebrating Yankee Living Legends

BRONX, NY – April 24, 2024: Bronx Children’s Museum, in collaboration with The Players Alliance (TPA), unveiled the vibrant three-panel mural entitled “Exhibiting Possibilities: Legendary Yankees” by artist André Trenier. The artwork immortalizes six living Black baseball greats – Willie Randolph, Reggie Jackson, Dave Winfield, Derek Jeter, CC Sabathia and Aaron Judge. The mural is designed to inspire young children to strive for greatness both in sports and their communities, celebrating living legends in real time while underscoring the importance of representation.

“Today, we are fostering a space to tell our children that creativity and hard work result in amazing achievements,” stated Denise Adusei, Museum Executive Director, to an enthusiastic crowd. “We have a lot of talent here in the Bronx and we want our kids to see what that talent looks like. We want them to know their dreams are feasible and possible.”

Curtis Granderson, former player and President of the Board of Directors of The Players Alliance shared, “We want to make sure that every generation coming through gets a chance to see and go ‘That can be me!’” Every day they go down this street, they get a chance to see someone that looks like them.” Margarette Purvis, CEO of The Players Alliance, added “We do this not just for the players, but also to inspire every aspiring young player to see and believe that they, too, can achieve greatness.”

Curtis Granderson, President of the Board of Directors of The Players Alliance: “Every day they go down this street, they get a chance to see someone that looks like them.”

Four of the six players featured in the mural were present for the unveiling: Willie Randolph, Dave Winfield, CC Sabathia, and Aaron Judge. As their portraits were revealed, they stood in front of the mural smiling broadly. The event also saw support from other major league notables including Edwin Jackson, founder of The Players Alliance, along with Michael Cameron, Michael Bourn, Chris Young, and Jeffrey Hammonds, all showing brotherly solidarity.

Players honored in the mural (l-r): Aaron Judge, Dave Winfield, Willie Randolph, and CC Sabathia.

“It’s all about the kids,” Yankees captain Aaron Judge remarked. “I was once in their shoes with a lot of dreams and aspirations.” He added, “It’s pretty special to see my face up there with all these great legends.”

Deputy Borough President Janet Peguero remarked, “It’s amazing we are right across the corridor from the first-ever Bronx Children’s Museum. Children are not only going to have the opportunity to play there, they are going to walk by here and point out a player and say, ‘Who is this player?’ and whoever is around them can offer them context.” She added, “The fact that they are living Black and Brown players really serves the mission of The Players Alliance, encouraging our younger generations to see themselves in these murals.”

Children from the International Baseball Little League and the Little League Raiders Baseball were thrilled to meet their heroes in person. Little League player Stafford Woodley expressed his excitement, by saying, “Being able to shake their hands is amazing. Referring to Aaron Judge, he said, “This is the first time meeting someone like this in real life.”

New York Yankees Senior Vice President and General Manager Brian Cashman and Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred also addressed the audience from the podium.

Cashman stated, “These murals out here are a testament to these great players, what they accomplished on the field, in this community, and a reminder to the kids in this community that they too can achieve greatness.”

“We hope that every boy or girl that sees these murals would have their own dreams of greatness on the field, and more importantly in their communities,” said Manfred.

The Players Alliance is an organization of professional baseball players focused on building equitable systems within baseball and creating opportunities for the Black community in both the sport and society. Established to enhance the participation of underserved communities, TPA’s “Exhibiting Possibilities” partnership with the Bronx Children’s Museum integrates images of living baseball greats into environments where children play, learn, and explore. The initiative aims to connect the future of baseball with the legacy of greatness from its past and present.

For the Bronx Children’s Museum, the mural represents phase one of the broader “Exhibiting Possibilities” project which will include a variety of educational and cultural experiences intended to inspire children and families throughout the Bronx and beyond.

The mural is located directly across the street from the Bronx Children’s Museum at Related Companies’ Bronx Terminal Market whose collaborative effort along with the New York Yankees fueled its production and installation.

Muralist André Trenier speaks to children who attended the event in front of the mural featuring Dave Winfield and Derek Jeter.

Artist André Trenier is a native Bronxite and world-renowned muralist whose works, created with spray paint, are a testament to artistic expression and community. “When I get to honor people I’ve looked up to all my life, it’s a really special feeling,” Trenier said. “My goal is to beautify the Bronx every chance I get.”

In recognition of their extraordinary partnerships, Bronx Children’s Museum will honor The Players Alliance, The New York Yankees, and artist André Trenier at this year’s gala. The event, set for Monday, June 24 at The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers, is themed as a Sneaker Ball and will celebrate their contributions to “Exhibiting Possibilities” and the dreams and aspirations of children.

Tickets and sponsorships are available at www.bxcmgala.org.

Press Highlights