Tar Heel Trailblazer: Mickey Hickerson

Growing up in the segregated 1960s wasn't easy for any person of color. It was no different for Lenoir, N.C. native Joseph "Mickey" Hickerson, the first African American on the varsity baseball team at the University of North Carolina.

His journey from Lenoir to Chapel Hill took him to Buffalo, N.Y., each summer, where he stayed with his aunt to play Little League baseball since young Black boys were not allowed to participate in organized baseball in his hometown.

"They had a Black Little League there, so that's where I played," Hickerson explained. "And I played well. I was on the all-star team and played third base."

As he grew older, Hickerson continued to develop as a player. He eventually earned a spot on the varsity baseball team at the integrated Lenoir High School, where he developed the desire to play for UNC – just not baseball.

"I wanted to play football, but they didn't offer me a scholarship," Hickerson said. "They did want me to try out, so I tried out. Then the next day I went out for the baseball team."

Hickerson, an all-star football player in high school, arrived on campus for the 1969 fall semester. After he determined he wouldn't pursue a career on the gridiron with the Tar Heels, Hickerson tried out for the baseball team, coached by fellow Lenoir native Walter Rabb.

"I didn't know him until I got to Chapel Hill," he explained. "He was quite the coach. He emphasized fundamentals. I learned a lot about baseball from him."

Hickerson earned a spot on the UNC junior varsity team and was brought up to the varsity in the spring of 1970. Known as "Joe Jet," he spent three seasons as the Tar Heels second baseman before being drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 1973.

Although he was the only Black player on the team, Hickerson didn't recall any animosity from any of his white teammates.

"I was a baseball player," he said. "We just played ball and it was great."

Hickerson fondly recalled his playing days in Chapel Hill, particularly against NC State and Wolfpack pitcher Tim Stoddard, who enjoyed a 14-year Major League career.

"I batted against him, and I hit a couple [home runs] off him," he said smilingly.

"We played High Point in an exhibition game, and I hit one to right field and lost it. I hit it all the way back to the Smith Center. It went a long, long, long way."

He played one season of professional baseball for the Appleton Foxes of the Midwest League.

Hickerson returned to Lenoir and completed his undergraduate at Western Carolina University. He ultimately moved to Hartford, Conn., where he earned his master's degree from Trinity College.

Upon completion of his master's degree, Hickerson worked for the state of Connecticut for approximately 30 years before a stroke forced him into early retirement in 2009. He and his wife, Ida, returned to North Carolina in 2011 and have resided in Charlotte for the past 13 years.

"I'm delighted and humbled to be named a Tar Heel Trailblazer," he said. "This means the world to me. It's one of the great honors of my life."

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