Congressman Marc Veasey Calls on Major League Baseball and Texas Rangers to Remove Statue Honoring Segregationist Figure

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Marc Veasey (TX-33) sent a letter to Commissioner of Major League Baseball, Rob Manfred, and Texas Rangers Co-Chairmen Ray Davis and Bob Simpson, raising serious concerns about the reported installation of a statue honoring a segregationist law enforcement officer associated with efforts to block the integration of Mansfield High School in 1956 following the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education.

In the letter, Congressman Veasey stated that honoring a statue tied to resisting school integration contradicts the inclusive values baseball represents and undermines the legacy of pioneering leaders such as Jackie Robinson and Larry Doby, who helped make baseball a sport that belonged to everyone, regardless of skin color.

“Ballparks should be places where families gather, and fans of every background feel welcome,” said Rep. Veasey. “Honoring a figure tied to resisting school integration—and doing so with imagery that evokes racist violence—sends exactly the wrong message about who belongs in that space.”

Rep. Veasey urged Major League Baseball and the Texas Rangers to remove the statue and requested answers about whether MLB reviewed or approved the monument and what guidelines govern commemorative displays at league ballparks.

The full letter can be found here: 

March 10, 2026

The Honorable Rob Manfred
Commissioner
Major League Baseball

1271 Avenue of the Americas

New York, NY 10020

Mr. Ray Davis
Co-Chairman 

Mr. Bob Simpson
Co-Chairman
Texas Rangers Baseball Club

734 Stadium Drive

Arlington, Texas 7601

Dear Commissioner Manfred, Mr. Davis, and Mr. Simpson,

I write to express my serious concern regarding the reported installation of a statue connected to the Texas Rangers that honors the late segregationist Jay Bank, a law enforcement figure who was with the Texas Department of Public Safety’s, Texas Rangers investigative unit. Banks was deployed by then-Governor Allan Shivers, to block the integration of one of our local public schools, during one of the most painful chapters of our nation’s civil rights history.

The statue in question commemorates Sgt. Banks, who supervised the Texas Rangers’ role in impeding the integration of Mansfield High School in 1956. That episode was not a moment of pride in Texas history—it was a moment when the power of the state was used to stand in the way of equal rights and the rule of law following the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education.

Even more disturbing is the history surrounding the figure this statue honors. Photographs from that time show Sgt. Banks leaning against a tree while a blackface hanging effigy dangled above the entrance to Mansfield High School—imagery that evokes the terror and intimidation used to keep Black children from exercising their right to an education. The fact that this statue was unveiled just days before Opening Day makes the decision even more shocking. As fans and families prepared to celebrate a new baseball season, they were instead confronted with a monument that echoes the language and symbolism of racial terror.

The modern game exists because pioneers like Jackie Robinson and Larry Doby had the courage to break baseball’s color barrier and endure unimaginable hostility so the sport could live up to its ideals. Robinson and Doby faced hatred, threats, and humiliation simply for stepping onto the field. Their sacrifice helped transform baseball into a game that belongs to everyone.

To place a monument honoring someone associated with resisting civil rights at a Major League ballpark dishonors that legacy. It sends a chilling message about which parts of history are being elevated and which sacrifices are being forgotten. Ballparks should be places where families gather, where children fall in love with the game, and where fans of every race, faith, and background feel welcome. Honoring a figure tied to resisting school integration—and doing so with imagery that evokes racist violence—sends exactly the wrong message about who belongs in that space.

Let me be clear: celebrating the legacy of someone connected to blocking integration is not preserving history. It is glorifying injustice.

Given the seriousness of this issue, I ask that Major League Baseball (MLB) provide answers to the following questions:

1. Was MLB aware that the statue honors an individual connected to efforts to block the integration of Mansfield High School in 1956?
2. Did MLB review or approve the installation of this statue before it was placed at the Texas Rangers’ stadium?
3. How does MLB reconcile honoring a figure associated with resisting school integration with the league’s public commitments to inclusion?
4. What standards or guidelines do MLB maintain governing statues, monuments, or commemorative displays at its ballparks?
5. Does MLB believe that honoring individuals connected to efforts to block school integration reflects the values the league wishes to project to fans and communities today?

North Texas is one of the most diverse regions in the country. Fans who walk into a ballpark should see symbols that reflect unity, opportunity, and the progress our country has fought so hard to achieve—not monuments tied to the denial of those very principles.

Baseball has long called itself America’s pastime. With that title comes a responsibility to reflect on the best of our country—not the moments when our institutions stood in the way of justice.

I urge the league to correct this mistake immediately. The statue should be removed, and Major League Baseball should ensure that the symbols displayed at its stadiums honor the progress made possible by pioneers like Jackie Robinson and Larry Doby—not the forces that tried to stop them.

Sincerely,

Congressman Marc A. Veasey
Member of Congress

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