Julian Green, the Senior Vice President of Communications and Community Affairs for the Chicago Cubs, has made incredible strides in developing a message to enhance the Cubs brand in minority communities.
HIS-STORY
For the devoted father of three, it all began at Percy L. Julian High School, in Chicago. “As a teenager trying to figure out life and what I wanted to do. I was able to find my voice at Julian High School,” says Green. “I love being around people, being social, and enjoying everything that school had to offer.”
Things took off when Julian was cast as the lead role in the award-winning play Little Shop of Horrors presented his senior year, that a fortunate stroke of serendipity would open the door of opportunity. “For me, it was my introduction to the world that would transform my life. Although I was involved in so many activities, no one knew of my talent in terms of music and the arts.”
Julian auditioned for a supporting role but was cast in the leading role as Seymour. Fast forward to opening night, Julian took to the stage and delivered a performance of a lifetime. His performance led his mentor and principal Dr. Edward H. Oliver to inquire where Julian was planning on attending college
OPEN SESAME!
Julian said, at that time, he hadn’t received any offer letters. Dr. Oliver shared with Julian that he believed that he would be a great addition to the Alabama A&M music program and asked if he’d like to attend. “I didn’t know much about the university besides seeing the shingle on his desk every day,” Julian recalls. “He then told me that the head of the music department is his fraternity brother and that he was going to give him a call. He picked up the phone, called Dr. Henry Bradford, and after a short conversation, Dr. Oliver handed me the phone. To my unsuspecting surprise, Dr. Bradford offered me a 4-year scholarship to join the university’s music choir.”
Julian sang his way through his 4-years at Alabama A&M. He earned his B.A. in Communication with a minor in marketing. Following in the footsteps of his mentor, Julian pledged Alpha Phi Alpha. Reflecting on his time at Alabama A&M, Julian credits ‘being active,’ in his fraternity, singing in the choir, and serving as an elected member of the Student Body Council made for a “really great experience.”
After graduating, Julian Green began developing his skills and experience working in communication. “I got my start at Fleishman Hillard (a global PR firm with offices in 41 cities),” says Green. “I really began to learn about the Public Relations industry and how media and communications work.” Later on, after transitioning to Ogilvy Public Relations, Julian met Wynona Redmond, who today is a Chicago Black publications legend. He wanted to increase the number of Black PR professionals locally, and together the two revised the Chicago Chapter of the Black Public Relations Society, and he credits Redmond for his career trajectory from there. After years of advancing his skills and knowledge in media communications, and building a solid network, he was offered a next-level proposal.
It was 2004 and the general election was on. Green was presented with the opportunity to work with, then Illinois State Senator Barack Obama’s U.S. Senatorial campaign. “It was like all the stars aligned,” Green said. “I met with Obama and his director of communications. We hit it off and they made me an offer to come on board. It required that I take leave of absence as I served as his travel press secretary during the general election.”
Julian spent several months on the campaign trail taking care of Obama’s press as he traveled the state. “It was an amazing experience,” says Julian. “We became good friends. (And of course, he went on to become President). Not many people can say that they have a personal friendship with the President of the United States.”
A LION FOR THE CUBS
In 2011 Julian joined the Chicago Cubs organization. Since becoming the Sr. Vice President of Communications and Community Affairs, Julian has developed a strategy that includes diversifying the Cubs outreach and therefore expanding its market. “When I first met with the executive team, they said they didn’t want to be known as the North Side Cubs.” Julian continues, “We’re a team for the entire city that’s made up of 77 different neighborhoods.” Green says the commitment the Ricketts family and the organization have for helping improve neighborhoods across the city is something he takes to heart.
“There are a lot of Black fans of the Cubs across the city because it is forever tied up in the ‘me first era’ as it relates to the African American experience in sports,” says Green. (Note that Jackie Robinson kicked open the door in 1942). The organization signed Earnie Banks in 1953, one of the first Black professional baseball players. The ballpark that they play in is the original ballpark where Jackie Robinson played in. There are parts of this franchise’s history that are tied to the Black experience. And I want to do my part so that Wrigley Field is a welcoming place for all fans.”
One of the first initiatives Green took on after being hired was getting the Chicago Cubs organization to participate in the Bud Billiken Parade. “We’re a team in Chicago. We wanted our fans on the South Side to know that the largest African American parade in the country was an important place for us to be.”
From there Julian and his team began looking at other opportunities where they can demonstrate support, like the Chicago Football Classic. “We’re the only major sports team sponsoring the football classic,” Green says with pride. “The football classic has become a major event celebrating the Black college experience. And we wanted to cultivate the efforts surrounding education and encourage the kids to consider historically Black colleges and universities. This is something near and dear to me because I graduated from a historically Black university.”
In conjunction with the Chicago Football Classic, Wrigley Field hosts Black College Day for HBCU students, alumni, prospects, and fans to come together for a celebration of the HBCU culture. According to Green, the Cubs wanted to show the commitment that they have to the communities of Chicago. “We felt that it wasn’t enough to just write a check. So, for the past several years we supported the classic and hosted the Black College Day using the ballpark to emphasize our commitment,” boast Green.
As recent as June of 2022, the commencement of Juneteenth, under Green’s leadership the Cubs organization, and in partnership with Julian's good friend, Christi Harbor, hosted Juneteenth Day in Gallagher Way, the park adjacent to Wrigley Field. Two dozen Black-owned businesses participated in the event as vendors. “The fans who attended the game got to enjoy some of the local Black-owned products,” says Julian. “Black-owned beer and spirit companies were able to sell their products inside Wrigley Field. It was a beautiful experience gifted to these small Black-owned businesses seeking to build their business. It was a marketing opportunity that they would never have had. To sell their products at a professional sports stadium would not have happened if not for our commitment. Our organization was able to bring awareness to potential customers that may not have known anything about these businesses prior to coming to the stadium that day, on Juneteenth and that was powerful!”
Under Julian’s direction, the Cubs organization has provided support to the Chicago chapter of the United Negro College Fund. Extending his resources further into the community, Julian secured a capital grant worth millions from the Cubs Charity. The funds were donated to the Pullman Community Center for a state-of-the-art baseball facility.
According to Green, “As someone who grew up on the South Side, and currently witnesses what Alderman Beale is doing in the community around baseball means a lot. One of the things Major League Baseball has been working to create is more access for African American youth into the sport of baseball. The opportunity to be a part of a project that would create a dedicated space for baseball was something important to us. To have an indoor ball field so that youth can play year-round and develop their skills is certainly important in bringing more Black and Brown kids into the game. The work that they’re doing over there is tremendous and I’m happy to be part of a group to build a center of excellence in baseball. It’s rare to have a center like that dedicated to helping, nurturing, and growing baseball players.”
Julian Green concluded that his work with the Chicago Cubs is not just limited to the Black community. “We’re looking to take advantage of opportunities to expand our relationship across color, race, and religious lines.” So, the Cubs will be engaged with Spanish Heritage month and developing outreach and engagement with the Chicago Muslim community. He explains, “As a sports franchise these steps demonstrate our commitment to diversity, equality, and inclusion. This is about how we want to showcase Wrigley Field as a welcoming place for Cubs fans of all colors. No matter who you are this is a place where you can be your authentic self. As an executive, I’d like people across Chicago to understand that this family and organization is committed to the entire Chicago community.”
