NEW YORK – We’re celebrating 75 years since Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier and became a monumental force in the civil rights movement Friday.
An all-star lineup gathered in Times Square Friday morning for a symbolic street renaming on Jackie Robinson Day.
Robinson debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, becoming its first Black player, changing the game – and much more.
“Jackie showed the world that equality should be a fundamental right for all, and that real change in our society was possible,” said MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred, Jr.
“The work he did was not only on the baseball field, but off the baseball field, where he was an incredible human being,” said Sonya Pankey, the eldest grandchild of Jackie and Rachel Robinson.
“I owe everything to him, because I wouldn’t be able to live out my dreams if it wasn’t for him,” said six-time All Star and 2007 Cy Young Award winner CC Sabathia.
Players across the country are wearing number 42 Friday in Jackie’s honor.
