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Diamondbacks honoring Juneteenth reflects Arizona's history of racial diversity in baseball

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Jon Duplantier on Monday sent out an SOS to Major League Baseball and his team, on behalf of himself and other Black players, during a discussion on MLB Network’s "Being Black In Baseball and America."

"I feel like I’m on an island. So, we suppress these feelings and experiences that we have," Duplantier said.

Amid the ongoing negotiations for when to launch the 2020 season, the Diamondbacks and MLB announced they would be honoring Juneteenth as a holiday, following the leads of the NFL, NBA and several U.S. corporations.

June 19 marks the liberation of Black slaves in America on June 19, 1865.