Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers, posed and ready to swing in 1954. Photo by Bob Sandberg via Library of Congress (L). Robinson and his son David are interviewed during the March on Washington, August 28, 1963 via Wikipedia (R).
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"He struggled mightily with turning the other cheek." — Dr. Michael G. Long
"Rachel, his widow, is very clear — his name was Jack. Jackie is the creation of the media and the creation of that moment and how we memorialize him and in some sense freeze him." — Dr. Yohuru Williams
PBS NewsHour EXTRA held its Educator Zoom series in February with Dr. Michael G. Long , author and professor at Elizabethtown College, and Dr. Yohuru Williams , founding director of the Racial Justice Initiative at the University of St. Thomas. The event was hosted by Sari Beth Rosenberg , New York City public school history teacher.
The conversation focused on the new book "42 Today: Jackie Robinson and His Legacy" (2021), edited by Long with a chapter by Williams,“I’ve Got to Be Me: Robinson and the Long Black Freedom Struggle.”
Robinson became the first African American to break the color barrier in Major League Baseball in 1947. While a remarkable achievement, both Long and Williams warn against "freezing" Robinson at this point in history.
Robinson served in the U.S. military during World War II and was a father to three children, husband to Rachel Robinson, a businessman, a mentor and an "informal" civil rights leader, according to Long.
Greg Timmons, long-time social studies teacher and curriculum writer for PBS's "Jackie Robinson" produced by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns and David McMahonon, was also on the Zoom. You can find lesson plans by Timmons about the National Negro Leagues; Robinson's life before baseball in which he was court-martialed in 1944 for not moving to the back of a bus; Rachel Robinson, who played a pivotal role in her husband's career while earning a nursing degree and raising three children and Robinson's impact on baseball and civil rights on PBS Learning Media.
Timmons also wrote these lessons on Jackie Robinson for Scholastic, “Breaking Barriers: Classroom Resources” for grades 3-5 and grades 4-9.
Watch the full session and summary highlights below or listen in podcast format here .
Highlight clips:
Dr. Michael G. Long summarizes his takeaways:
Dr. Yohuru Williams summarizes his takeaways:
