\\NEWSERVER\FirstLD\Video_A_L\B\Banks_Ernie\Banks_Ernie_01.mpgF:\The HistoryMakers from sctnserver\Oserver_MAC\HMWebSite_Dev\Individual HistoryMakers\B\Banks, Ernie\Transcript\Banks_Ernie_01.txtTyler BarnettErnie Banks describes photos he has brought to the interview, including images of Banks with Lou Brock and Buck O'Neil, Banks's extended family, Willie Mays, Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, and Ernie Banks and his father. Banks ends by describing his relationship with his father as a child.A2000.0032000The HistoryMakers2000-07-18Banks, Ernie, 1931-Julieanna RichardsonChicago, Illinois00:28:53.773061Banks_Ernie_01The HistoryMakers01:00:15:00Ernie Banks Interview, Tape 1Matthew HickeyPhoto - Ernie Banks, John Jordan 'Buck' O'Neil, former manager of the Kansas City Monarchs, and Lou Brock, ca. 1990sOn the right side, there’s [Louis] Lou Brock. I just left him in Atlanta [Georgia] at the [2000] All-Star Game. He was my roommate when he first came from Louisiana and they put him with me. I learned so much about--I’m ten years his senior. I learned so much about business from him. Just business, you know, how to bid and how to negotiate, how to get things done.And then, what about in the middle? That’s you? No, in the middle, who’s that?Oh, that’s [John] 'Buck' O’Neil. He’s the one that managed the Kansas City Monarchs [Negro League baseball team]. He got me to start playing baseball.(simultaneously) Oh, he’s the one. Yes.He’s the one. He’s my confidor and mentor, came to my house. I just went, and told my mom, "we want him to sign and play baseball." And she said, "well, you want him to play, you’ve got to take care of him." He said, "We’ll take care of him." I didn’t say nothing. I never talked that much. So he took me to Kansas City [Missouri] and just--he trained me and talked to me. And I came with another guy named [baseball player] Elston Howard. He played for the [New York] Yankees [baseball team]. First Black Yankee.So, there were two of you, then, that year? Is that what you’re saying? No, the Black Leagues, but two of us that went--Went over to the Majors.Major Leagues, yes.The same year.Well, he went one year before me.Okay.And then I came, andDid you come in ’53 [1953]?’53 [1953].Okay.He’s gone now. We had completely opposite baseball careers. He was on a world-championship team, and I was on losing teams. And we still maintain our balance without talking about winning or losing.Right, right.And we lost him about five years ago, and his wife is now working on a book about his life ‘cause nobody remembered him.Right.He was the first Black Yankee.Right.I mean he went through a lot of--but [baseball player] Jackie Robinson was on the other side over there, Brooklyn [New York], and he was in New York City, the Yankees. And they were beating the [Brooklyn] Dodgers [baseball team] all the time. So, Jackie did his thing, but they never really mentioned too much about Elston Howard. So there are people who do things and contribute a lot, nobody knows them, and they don’t, they don't, they don’t mind it.Right. They don’t mind it.No. He didn’t mind. I mean Jackie got all the publicity, [baseball player Roy] Campanella and [baseball player] Willie Mays and all that. But he just played, took care of his family, and just enjoyed life. He was always happy and always had a good time. We lost him. He got sick and they gave him some bad medication, and it didn’t agree with him. He died. And I thought from that a lot of times, that--you’re not a doctor, are you? But doctors sometimes, you know, from Tuskegee [Institute, Tuskegee, Alabama, later Tuskegee University], you know, they experienced a hit down there.Right.My generation don’t have that great a confidence in doctors.Right, right.You know, who are the good ones, and what can they do and how they do it. But they gave him the wrong medication, and he died.Okay. Now, let’s just go over the names one more time.That’s me on the left, Buck O’Neil in the center, Lou Brock on the right. Me, left; center, Buck O’Neil.[L. to R.: Ernie Banks, John 'Buck' O'Neil, former manager of the Kansas City Monarchs, and Lou Brock, ca. 1990s. From the collection of Ernie Banks.]00/00/195300/00/1990-00/00/1999Sports::BaseballSports::Baseball::Baseball players::African American baseball playersSports::Baseball::ProfessionalDiscrimination::Race discrimination in employment::HiringDiscrimination::Race discriminationBanks, Ernie, 1931-Brock, Lou, 1939-O'Neil, Buck, 1911-Photo - Ernie Banks with his parents and large extended family, ca. late 1950sSo now what is the year? What year is this picture?Ooh, some of this I'd have to ask my mother [Essie Banks]. Let's see. My dad [Eddie Banks, Sr.] died in '79 [1979], so it must be--gee, let’s see. The bottom kid Glover was forty-three. This is thirty-five years ago. That picture is thirty-five years ago. Let’s see how many we’ve lost. We’ve lost Benjamin, my dad, let’s see.Now, can you identify people here?Samuel and Frances and Eddie. Ima’s gone.Okay. So, can you identify--there’s your father, right?Mm-hmm.Okay. Is that your mother?Mm-hmm.Okay.See the two in the center?Who was that?This picture.No, over here.Right.It's the mother and father.Sister and me.Oh, that's your mother, father, sister, and you? Okay. How old are you in that picture?Let's see, thirty-five years ago. I would say thirty-three, thirty-four. thirty-four. Now, it’'s a family that--my sister had a lot of difficulties. I'm the second child. She's the first. And she had a lot of difficulty in Dallas, Texas in her work and school 'cause everybody thought she was white.Really?Mm-hmm. She would use me to balance off. She'd say--Claire asked me to come by her job so she could prove to people----people that she was black?Yeah, 'cause she worked with mostly blacks. She had a real struggle. Her friends were black, black, black. I mean I hate to talk about color, but color is a big thing.Color is a big thing. Oh, that’s tough.Like, when you go Atlanta [Georgia], if you’re black black, you’re not going to get too much in Atlanta. You’ve got to be light-brown skin and all that kind of stuff.Now, explain to me who else was in this picture, though. You said this is a family picture. Are these sisters and brothers?Sisters and brothers.How many kids?Twelve of us.Twelve.Twelve kids. My mom got married at sixteen. My dad was thirty-five. She shared with me something I didn’t even know. [Banks' wife] Liz [Banks] got it out of her, that she was--I talk about going to church, 'cause she used to take all of us to church and stuff, and then she stopped going. I said, "You don’t go to church anymore." And then she, "No." And then, she told Liz that a minister molested her when she was twekve.Oh. So she didn’t--that was it.(simultaneously) That was it, yeah.That was it for church. Okay, let’s try to give names.Can I name? Oh, you would ask me this.Well, yes. Of course.You would ask me all of this here?Start from the upper left.She would ask me. She would ask me, then. I knew, I said, "Name all these people." Top left is Estella. Her son signed with the Texas Rangers [baseball team] and got into drugs, cocaine, and he’s in jail in Denver [Colorado]. And that other one is Eddie, Jr. Eddie, a year ago--he hauled laundry all over Dallas--a year ago, he ran, and he hit a guy in a truck. Killed a guy and his kid, and then he died. He died at home. Died in a hotel, motel. He was kind of--Oh, it was in a hotel. That’s what I heard.Yeah, he went down to the motel. He was a brilliant guy. He got out the Air Force and just had all plans for life, buy a home, get married, and all that. And he did all that and found out his wife was gay, and he just--it just went the other way. He started drinking, and one little thing can turn a lot around. And then, Samuel is the next guy. Samuel was with some of his friends near home, and they were playing Russian roulette [game of chance with a loaded revolver]. And a guy shot him in the head at--I think he was sixteen, seventeen. But anyway, I was going to take him to California ‘cause he’s, "Man, I’ve got to get out of here." I said, "Come on. Go to California with me." And, you know, he’d holler: "I’ll come to Dallas, and we’ll drive out." You know, he just stayed around there. Some people get stuck in time and places and just couldn’t move. And the other one is Frances. Frances. Frances was a very smart girl. She’s the only one who came here to see me when I played [baseball for the Chicago Cubs]. Many of them didn’t like coming to Chicago [Illinois], too cold, too big, and all that. And she met up with another lady and lived with her, and she died. I was really surprised when she told me that. The other girl told me, "we live together. We take care of each other." It was just a different experience for me, but it’s all part of life.Well, there are twelve of you. I guess you’re going to have a lot of experiences. You’ll probably touch on everything in life. Okay.And the other way, that’s Walter. Walter is a brilliant guy. He’s a janitor down at the school, and he just didn’t do anything. But, like, he’s fifty. And that’s my wife coming. Where’s the Kleenex? Can I get a Kleenex?You can keep going if you want or wait for Julie [interviewer].Oh, yeah. Yeah, okay. And then, on the lower right there, that’s Evelyn. And then, that’s her grandbaby. Yeah, that’s her grandbaby. In front of her is Benjamin. Next to Benjamin is me. Next to me is Edna, my oldest sister. Next to her is my mother, Essie. Next to her is my father, Eddie. Next to him is, oh, that’s her children. My sister’s children, those two kids there? I don’t remember their names. Down below there is Glover Banks, the one with the bowtie. And the other one with the bowtie is Ricky. Ricky, the one with the bowtie over on the right. And--go ahead.Who were Glover Banks and Ricky?Who are they?Are they brothers?Yeah, my brothers. My brothers. There’s another one, Don, that’s not in there. I don’t think he was born then. Don is forty now, so this is more than forty years old.Did you cover him on the--That’s Benjamin. Benjamin. He played for the Cubs and--got out of the Army, signed up with the Cubs. He didn’t like the baseball. He came to spring training, and then he went to Lafayette, Louisiana. And then, he met this girl who took him to California. And he came back, and he dropped dead at home. And he was just a very talented--he was more talented at baseball than me, but he just didn’t like it.He was more talented than you?Mm-hmm. You’ll find a lot of that.[Ernie Banks (seated center) with his parents, Eddie Banks, Sr. (seated, third from left), Essie Banks (seated, fourth from left) and large extended family, ca. late 1950s. From the collection of Ernie Banks.]00/00/197900/00/1950-00/00/1959Banks, Ernie, 1931-Autobiographical::FamilyAutobiographical::Family::Parents::FatherAutobiographical::Family::Parents::MotherAutobiographical::Family::SiblingsColor of skin::Skin color prejudice in African AmericansLocations::US::Texas::DallasLocations::US::Georgia::AtlantaAutobiographical::Family::SisterAutobiographical::Family::BrotherFamilies::African American familiesFamilies::Family sizeAutobiographical::Deaths of Family and FriendsPhoto - Ernie Banks with his father, Eddie Banks, Sr., on a radio program, Chicago, Illinois, ca. 1958-1959I was doing a show, a radio show, and I took him [father Eddie Banks, Sr.] with me. And while we were preparing of the show and, you know, the script and how to read it, I wanted the producer to record his voice. He’s never done that.Right.He’d never done that. Now, my dad came here [Chicago, Illinois]. He had never been on plane, in his seventies, never been on a plane. Didn’t like being around whites. White folks scared him to death, and he never been anywhere. He just worked all the time. The people just don’t go anywhere. They live in a world that’s totally different.(simultaneously) Right. That’s right.Like, my brothers have never been on a plane, and this is the year 2000. They’ve never been on a plane.Oh, you mean some of them haven’t--Some of them have never been on an airplane.I understand.They took me to the airport and said, "what is it like? What is it like being on a plane?" I was just, "you guys have--?" "No, we never been on a plane. Was is it like, flying?" Did you believe people like that? People in this world, they’ve never seen a lot of the stuff that we see every day.That’s right.And they have no interest in it.That's right. What year do you think this photo is?Sixty-four. When was [President John F.] Kennedy assassinated? That's when he was here. No. Let's go back further than that. Let's go back further. This is in the Fifties, '58 [1958] or'59 [1959].[Ernie Banks (standing) with his father, Eddie Banks, Sr., on a radio program, Chicago, Illinois, ca. 1958-1959. From the collection of Ernie Banks.]00/00/1958-00/00/1959Autobiographical::Family::Parents::FatherBanks, Ernie, 1931-Photo - Ernie Banks with Willie Mays in San Francisco, California, ca. 1960sThat’s [baseball player] Willie Mays and I in San Francisco [California], and that’s when I came with my book, 'Mr. Cub.' He came over. We’re good friends and nurtured each other through all kinds of different things.[Ernie Banks (right) with Willie Mays, San Francisco, California, ca. 1960s. From the collection of Ernie Banks.]00/00/1960-00/00/1969Banks, Ernie, 1931-Mays, Willie, 1931-Sports::Baseball::Baseball players::African American baseball playersSports::Baseball::ProfessionalPhoto - Ernie Banks during a game against Brooklyn Dodgers' third baseman, Jackie Robinson, Brooklyn, New York, ca. 1953-1956...One of my idols back--that’s [baseball player] Jackie Robinson. And this is in Brooklyn, New York, sliding at third base.[Ernie Banks (right) during a baseball game against Brooklyn Dodgers' third baseman, Jackie Robinson, Brooklyn, New York, ca. 1953-1956. From the collection of Ernie Banks.]00/00/1953-00/00/1956Sports::Baseball::Baseball players::African American baseball playersSports::Baseball::ProfessionalBanks, Ernie, 1931-Robinson, Jackie, 1919-1972Photo - Ernie Banks, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee and two unidentified producers on the movie set of 'Finding Buck McHenry,' Toronto, Canada, 2000That’s [actor, director, writer] Ossie Davis, [actress] Ruby Dee, and the producer on the left here and other producer on the right. And this is a movie we did called 'Finding Buck McHenry' in Toronto, Canada.[Ernie Banks (second from right), Ossie Davis (second from left), Ruby Dee (center) and two unidentified producers on the movie set of 'Finding Buck McHenry,' Toronto, Canada, 2000. From the collection of Ernie Banks.]00/00/2000Banks, Ernie, 1931-Dee, Ruby, 1924-Davis, Ossie, 1917-Locations::CanadaActors::African American actorsPhoto - Ernie Banks with his father, Eddie Banks, Sr. at Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois, ca. early 1960sMy dad [Eddie Banks, Sr.] at Wrigley Field [Chicago, Illinois], sitting in the dugout, just me and him. Got out there real early. He didn’t smile very much.He’s smiling in that picture.No, I’m just saying he didn’t smile very much. Like, I was going to add to that. I mean that many cultures around the world don’t understand how we are because we smile all the time. They don’t smile. They don’t tell people they love each other, you go to certain parts of Europe. And he was that type of person.I mean he just was a thinking man that, you know, just did what he had to do. Did his job, go to work, come back.[Ernie Banks with his father, Eddie Banks, Sr. at Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois, ca. late 1960s. From the collection of Ernie Banks.]00/00/1960-00/00/1965Banks, Ernie, 1931-Autobiographical::Family::Parents::FatherPhoto - Three pictures of Ernie Banks, with Magic Johnson, Karl Malone and Michael Jordan in a golf tournament program for the American Cancer Society, Chicago, Illinois, ca. 1990sHe had a golf tournament. So he invited me and [Elizabeth] Liz [Banks] came out to volunteer. They helped raise money for his-- His foundation?The American Cancer Society at that time. And up right there is Karl Malone [basketball player for the Utah Jazz], and this is at the old stadium [Chicago, Stadium, Chicago, Illinois] here. And they were getting ready to play the [Chicago] Bulls [basketball team]. He’s a tremendous person. I tend to look at people, no matter whether they’re sports or whatever, a certain characters that I see in them that I like, that I pick out, and I like being around them. I don’t care what they’re doing. It could be--not a murderer, but, you know, could be any kind. But these are people that I really think a lot of. They have great spirit. They understand, for young people, life, what life is about, and that life is not fair in many cases, you know. And they understand that. Donna Buss, Michael Jordan, and that’s Liz with her--what do you call that?What do you call those hats--those caps?Liz?Kufi.[Three pictures of Ernie Banks in a golf tournament program for the American Cancer Society; Top left: Ernie Banks (right) and Magic Johnson; Top right: Ernie Banks (left) and Utah Jazz basketball player, Karl Malone; Bottom right: Ernie Banks (left), Michael Jordon (center) and Liz Banks (right), Chicago, Illinois, ca. 1990s. From the collection of Ernie Banks.]00/00/1990-00/00/1999Banks, Ernie, 1931-Ernie Banks's favoritesAnd I start out with five questions that I ask everyone. They have really no relevance except I ask everyone, and then we’ll start.You’ll be short with them, or?Very short.Okay.Like one word.Okay.What’s your favorite time of year?The fall.Your favorite food?Okra.Okay. Your favorite color?Pink.Your--.Can I add to that?Yes. Okay. (Laughs). I’ve never heard a man say pink. Okay.(off-camera voice) Remember, we talked earlier--That’s what I told her. I’m trying to give her out--I’m not--I’ll be very brief with it. Pink is because most of my life in professional sports in America--you’re not listening.I’m listening. I’m sorry. I just was making sure the camera was-- Yeah.Okay.Because--Are you going to move like that?You going to shoot this, or are we--Yeah, we’re shooting.I’m just trying to explain--okay. And I say "pink" because most of my life in professional sports in America, I felt that I was living life "in the pink," that everything was pink to me because you travel first class, you’re in hotels in first class, and people nurture you, and people fuss over you, and everybody come into your life. It’s like another world when you’re a professional athlete in America when I played. It’s like living life in the pink. There’s a song written by [singer] Edith Piaf about that. I used to play it in the choir all the time. Let me see can I think of it. Yeah, 'La Vie en Rose.' That’s right. You got it. (Sings the tune). And she did. She lived life in the pink. She died a very lonely person on the streets of Paris [France], but they called her the "Little Sparrow." And that’s why I say my life, living in the pink. I like pink. Many men don’t wear pink, but I can wear pink when I play golf, and nobody responds to it that much.And what’s your favorite vacation destination?I like Switzerland.And your favorite phrase or saying?Is "one chance is all you need."Banks, Ernie, 1931-Ernie Banks talks about growing up with his fatherI want to start out--'cause you were born in Dallas [Texas], right? Yes.Okay. Outside of Dallas or Dallas?In Dallas.And you’re the second oldest?Yes. First boy, second oldest.I want you to talk about growing up. I’d like you first to talk about your mother and father. Let’s start with your father. Just tell me what kind of person he was and what his name--his name was Eddie?Eddie Banks, yeah.Okay, and go on.Very quiet, hard-working. His joy was playing dominos and checkers to stimulate his mind. He read the Bible a lot, as much as he could, because he didn’t read that well. The Bible is like a diary for him. He wrote in the Bible when all his children were born, what time they were born, where they were born. I was born at home. I’m from a mid--what’d they call it? What do they call that?Midwife.Midwife. I was born at home. So, he kept a lot of his information in the Bible. And he worked very hard. He didn’t like people that much. He had a few friends. Most of them were his brothers, and I used to visit all of his brothers, and they all got along real well. But a very quiet man that just kind of stayed to himself. He was always real neat. He always shined his shoes. He always kept his clothes neat and clean and always wore a hat and didn’t say very much. I used to ask him different questions, and he would be very quick, very thorough. And I like that. He wanted to play baseball, and he paid me to play catch with him because it was prior to [baseball player] Jackie Robinson coming into [Major League] baseball in 1947. And I didn’t say anything to him. You know. "Why was I working and playing catch all the time with him and being the batboy for the team he played for?" I didn’t ask him that, but I just followed his guidelines. But he wanted me to be a baseball player. Later on, I found that out. But I didn’t know why he was making me play catch all the time. I wanted to go to Harvard [University, Cambridge, Massachusetts] and become and international lawyer when I was thirteen, and the reason is I saw so much unfairness around my own community, I mean people taking advantage of people and all kinds of different unfairness that existed--yet with insurance people, and you buy a car and all those sort of thing. I said, "gosh, I mean I’d like to be a lawyer, so I can protect and help people." And I thought that was my real gift in life.00/00/1931-00/00/1948Banks, Ernie, 1931-Locations::US::Texas::DallasAutobiographical::Family::Parents::FatherAutobiographical::Childhood and YouthAutobiographical::Avocations and RecreationsAutobiographical::Work and Career::Career aspirations