By the time Ellis played in his first Major League Baseball game in 1968 , the Supreme Court had stricken down most Jim Crow laws .
The Black Panther party was 2 years old and approaching its peak membership .
By the time Ellis played in his first Major League Baseball game in 1968 , the Supreme Court had stricken down most Jim Crow laws , and the Black Panther party was 2 years old and approaching its peak membership .