Statue of Negro Leagues baseball player Ernest Burke to be unveiled
A statue honoring Ernest Burke, who played in the Negro professional baseball leagues in the 1940s, is set to be unveiled Saturday in Havre de Grace, on what would have been his 97th birthday.
Burke was born in Havre de Grace on June 26, 1924, and served in the first African-American U.S. Marine unit in World War II. After returning home, he played third base and pitcher for the Baltimore Elite Giants, a professional baseball team in the former African-American League from 1946 to 1949.
Before his death at age 79 in 2004, Burke was active in promoting the history of the Negro professional leagues, which flourished in the first half of the 20th Century prior to the breaking of Major League Baseball’s “color line” by Jackie Robinson.
During a City Council meeting Monday evening, Havre de Grace Mayor William T. Martin read a proclamation declaring Saturday June 26 as “Ernest Burke Day.”
Burke was “known as a man of excellent character and a man of great athletic talent,” according to the proclamation. He also made multiple appearances at schools and public events, speaking and “motivating others to achieve.”
The proclamation also notes that the mayor and council have honored Burke in the past, with a proclamation in April of 1998 and a resolution in June 2016 recognizing his accomplishments and service to the country.
“We do hope everyone’s schedule will allow you to attend on Saturday,” Martin said of the dedication ceremony, which begins at 1 p.m.
The mayor said the statue of Burke will be “the first of what we hope to be many sculptures and statues” in Tydings Park.
Martin has had a number of conversations with city resident Camay Murphy, who spearheaded fundraising efforts for the Burke statue, about placing other statues in the park.
Murphy serves as chair of the Ernest Burke Memorial Sculpture Committee, which was formed about eight years ago and is part of the nonprofit Community Projects of Havre de Grace.
“It was truly worth the wait,” she said. “The statue, I think, is beautiful — it’s very representative of Ernest Burke.”
Murphy said the committee is “very satisfied” with the work of Detroit-based sculptor Austen Brantley.
She noted that it has taken a number of years to raise funds to build the statue, but she praised those who contributed. The city and Harford County also have provided some financial support, according to the mayor.
“The people in Havre de Grace wanted this representation of Ernest Burke and people gave what they could, and they were generous in giving,” Murphy said.
The statue of Burke will be to the right of the park’s war memorial. The next statue of a famous Havre de Grace resident will ideally be on a walkway that meanders from the war memorial to the playground, according to Martin.
“It’ll be a walkway of famous people in Havre de Grace, but Mr. Burke’s going to be the first one,” Martin said.