Next month will mark 75 years since Jackie Robinson debuted as a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers, breaking Major League Baseball’s color barrier. ESPN is celebrating the anniversary in multiple ways throughout the month of April.
“It is a natural opportunity I believe to not only recognize his legacy but to educate those who may not be as familiar as they should be with the impact he had on our way of life,” ESPN’s David Roberts said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
The initiative begins with the Jackie To Me video series. Starting on April 4, ESPN will debut a series of short videos featuring modern athletes and other leaders talking about the impact Jackie Robinson and his wife Rachel had not just on the sports world, but on society as a whole. Tim Anderson, Bobby Bradford, Ruby Bridges, Chuck D, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Billie Jean King, Willie O’Ree, Robinson’s son David are among those confirmed to appear in the series.
College baseball will also factor heavily into the celebration. On April 15, the network will carry five games. The finale will feature Robinson’s alma mater, UCLA, hosting Stanford at Jackie Robinson Stadium in Los Angeles.
This year is a big one for the Robinson family and ESPN is taking advantage of that. In addition to the 75th anniversary of Jackie’s MLB debut, it also happens to be the year that his widow, Rachel Robinson, turns 100. ESPN will celebrate on July 26 with Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim broadcasting live from the opening of the Jackie Robinson Museum in Brooklyn.
“She will also be a critical focal point not only in covering the legacy of her husband, but what Rachel Robinson has done to carry on his legacy is just spectacular,” Roberts says. “I just cant think of enough adjectives to say how important she is to the fabric of America.”
In addition to the video series and day of college baseball coverage, ESPN will also use its “Black History Always” initiative to create and distribute content related to Jackie Robinson and Rachel Robinson this year.
