Paul Hodgson, a former Toronto Blue Jays outfielder, has much to celebrate during both Family Day and Black History Month. His story, shaped by his baseball career and discovery of his heritage, is a powerful example of perseverance, identity, and the importance of family.

Hodgson grew up in Fredericton, New Brunswick, in the 1960s, one of the few Black children in an overwhelmingly white community. Though he knew he was adopted, he never questioned his background. Despite his darker complexion, Hodgson didn’t realize he was Black. He recalls being taunted by classmates using racial slurs, but he believed it was just because of his skin tone. “My dad used to say I had a dark complexion,” he said, “I thought they were just stupid.”

Growing up, Hodgson was confused about his racial identity. He admired Black athletes on TV and wondered if he shared their “genes,” thinking, “It would be cool to grow up with those genes.”

In 1977, Hodgson signed with the Toronto Blue Jays at age 17. After a few years in the minors, he was called up to the majors in 1980, becoming only the second Canadian to play for the Jays. During his time in the big leagues, Hodgson received an unexpected revelation from his adoptive father: “You’re getting married, and there’s a chance you could have a Black child.” This was when Hodgson learned he was Black, an identity that had never been openly discussed in his family. “I didn’t know I was Black, I didn’t know I was anything,” he said.

Hodgson’s baseball career, while promising, was cut short due to a rotator cuff injury in 1981. After surgery, he could not regain enough strength in his shoulder and was out of baseball by 1985.

During this period, Hodgson began to confront the family secret. In 2017, a family reunion email revealed that his birth mother, Elaine, was not his cousin as he had believed, but his biological mother. In the late 1950s, Elaine had been dating an American Air Force man and became pregnant. Her family pressured her to give the child up for adoption, and she placed him with a family in Marysville, New Brunswick.

It wasn’t until later that Hodgson discovered his biological father’s name—Jerry Arceneaux, from Lake Charles, Louisiana. With encouragement from his partner, Lisa, Hodgson connected with Arceneaux’s family and eventually met his father, who had retired from a distinguished military career.

Meeting his birth father in Georgia was transformative. “He’s six foot seven, a Black Belt in several styles, and played on the all-world basketball team for the U.S. Air Force,” Hodgson marveled. He also met his two new sisters, forming lasting relationships with his extended family. The reunion also sparked a conversation between his birth parents, who had not spoken since 1959.

Now, Hodgson maintains close relationships with both his biological and adoptive families. He stays connected with his birth father and siblings through social media, while remaining close to his adoptive family in Fredericton.

After retiring from baseball, Hodgson worked as a sports announcer and reporter for CBC TV in Fredericton. He now lives in Toronto, working for the Ontario government. Reflecting on his journey, Hodgson is grateful for the family connections he has, though he wishes they had come sooner. “I’m so happy that all that happened,” he said. “It’s frustrating that it didn’t happen earlier.”

Hodgson’s story is a powerful reminder of discovering one’s identity and the importance of family. It is a journey of embracing both the past and present to understand one’s place in the world.

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