We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball

Kadir Nelson tells the history of Negro League baseball from its founding in the 1920s through its decline after Jackie Robinson joined the Major Leagues in 1947. An unnamed player narrates the story in the first person, recounting the leagues' founders, owners, star players, and style of play alongside the racial discrimination they faced. The title comes from a statement by Rube Foster, founder of the Negro National League.

Nelson's first book as both author and illustrator received the Coretta Scott King Author Award, a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor, and the Robert F. Sibert Medal. The oversized hardcover pairs the researched narrative with nearly fifty oil paintings, including full-page portraits and a double-page fold-out.