October 17th 2023.
Mamie “Peanut” Johnson, the first woman to pitch in the Negro Leagues and a two-way player, will soon be remembered forever in Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser unveiled plans to rename a D.C. intersection after Johnson, now known as the “Mamie ‘Peanut’ Johnson Plaza”.
This intersection, located at Florida Avenue and New York Avenue NE, is undergoing a $41 million construction project that will be completed by 2024. Mayor Bowser said, “Our community is ready to start a new chapter at this intersection, and we are off to a strong start by naming it after such an iconic woman.” Maura Brophy, president and CEO of the NoMa BID, added, “The redesign of the Florida Avenue/New York Avenue NE intersection will transform the current space to make it safer for pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers while also creating more than one acre of green space for the benefit of the community.”
The renaming of this intersection was brought about by a public vote. Over 4,300 participants voted for the intersection to be named in honor of Johnson. Between April 17 and June 25 of this year, D.C. residents voted to recognize Johnson's legacy.
But who was Johnson? She was a trailblazing athlete and played for the Indianapolis Clowns from 1953-1955. Unfortunately, she was rejected by the all-white female league because she was Black. However, Johnson was the only woman to pitch in the Negro Leagues, while two other women also played baseball with the men. She even learned how to throw her famous curveball from the legendary Satchel Paige. After 1955, Johnson hung up her mitt and became a nurse. She passed away from an undisclosed illness in 2017, but her legacy lives on.
With this intersection being named after her, Johnson will now be remembered for years to come in the nation's capital.
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