Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1954. PUBLIC DOMAIN
By Ed Odeven
TOKYO (Jan. 31, 2019) — Jackie Robinson’s birthday 100 years ago today ought to be a time of reflection and celebration.
The world has changed in many ways since he was born — geopolitical norms and technological advances, life spans and new (and eradicated) diseases are but a few of the big changes.
And 72 years ago this April, Robinson broke Major League Baseball’s modern color barrier, appearing in his first game for the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field.
The significance of that day (April 15) cannot be overstated. It was a necessary declaration in a public forum that regardless of the color of a man’s skin he had the right to seek and gain employment in any field without being rejected because of his ethnicity.
And if Robinson hadn’t succeeded, who knows how much slower progress…
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Ed Odeven Reporting 