Art Pennington (1923-2017) was a legendary baseball player whose achievements transcended the diamond. A Negro League All-Star, he also played professionally in Mexico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Canada, Venezuela, and Puerto Rico, leaving his mark on the international game.

But Art's impact extended far beyond baseball. He was a champion for civil rights who defied segregation by playing against white major leaguers in exhibition games and alongside them in Latin American winter leagues. He and his wife Anita defied societal norms with their interracial marriage, illegal at the time in the United States. Art also opened the Home Run Club in Cedar Rapids, a private, mixed-race establishment that broke racial barriers in the community.