Peyton alex smith barney tv#

Peyton alex smith barney tv#

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That's something Damon goes through as well, because it's become more of a business for him, and his journey throughout the first season is finding his love for the game.'Īll American: Homecoming premieres Feb.

'I was researching and found a loving sport. 'Our show can be a catalyst for showing African American kids that baseball is fun,' Smith says. 'One of the most diverse areas in terms of multicultural representation at an HBCU is the baseball diamond.' The team is its own microcosm of life at an HBCU, which is 'part of the reason why Damon is so motivated to bring the sport back to the culture and to be an example of what the legacy of this sport can be,' Carroll adds.Īmidst the exploration of relationships and representation, a love for the sport shines through on Homecoming. 'A lot of HBCU baseball teams aren't all Black players, because literally there are not enough to fully fill out baseball teams,' Carroll says. One piece of Homecoming's baseball storyline is exploring the HBCU team's demographic. It just felt like a goldmine to explore,' she says. Seeing what baseball meant to our culture and seeing how the sport is struggling for representation. 'My son plays baseball, which is why I have such a passion and love for the sport,' she tells EW, adding that baseball has a deeper meaning: 'Jackie Robinson and the Negro League. Show creator Nkechi Okoro Carroll points out that because of costly equipment and club travel costs, many Black people are being priced out. While Black athletes make up a large portion of the NFL and a majority of the NBA, less than 10 percent of MLB players are Black. In addition to exploring Damon's relationships with his mom, coach, friends, and the game itself, Homecoming highlights the diminishing representation of Black players in baseball. 'Throughout the season, the dynamic is fun to play because there's lots of ups and downs in that relationship as Damon tries to find himself as a young adult away from their parents.' At this point, his mom is more a momager, given the pressure she places on Damon to go pro.

'One of the reasons Damon goes to Bringston is he's searching for who he truly is,' Smith says. He was drawn to the HBCU in large part because he is searching for the identity of his birth parents, who he knows were once students there. 'There's a selfish nature to Damon, and now that he's coming to this team, his goal is to bring notoriety and attention to the HBCU's baseball team.' Used to being a star, Damon will have to learn to be part of a team (and if he does, a successful collegiate career might just help him with his major league dreams).īringston University provides some non-athletic opportunities for Damon as well. 'You can see he's been taught by his mother that he's the only thing that maters,' Smith says.