Toni Stone Atrium Unveiled at Benjamin E. Mays

Before becoming the first woman to play professional baseball in the Negro American League, Toni Stone was playing baseball and other sports with her friends and classmates in her Rondo neighborhood. Without any teams for girls, her parents discouraged her from playing, until her pastor at St. Peter Claver invited her to join the church's team. From there, she started to play throughout Minnesota and the region, eventually moving to San Francisco and playing semiprofessional ball. She made history when she went pro with the Indianapolis Clowns in 1953.

Stone's story is now immortalized inside Benjamin E. Mays, which sits on the land where she once lived and played. A plaque and a map of the neighborhood were unveiled by noted St. Paul historian Frank White at a special ceremony on March 26, 2026. The evening also marked the transformation of Benjamin E. Mays into an Afrocentric school, which will officially open in fall 2026 for grades PreK-5. When students walk into school every day, Stone will be there to show them what is possible.

Learn more about the new Afrocentric program and how to apply at spps.org/afrocentric.

See more photos from the event here.