Jackie Robinson Day: A lasting legacy

Baseball holidays rarely transcend outside the sport — you celebrate Opening Day, but it doesn’t have an impact outside baseball and its fans. But Jackie Robinson Day is a different case, as April 15 celebrates a day that resonates across all sports and American culture. The day commemorates the anniversary of Robinson’s major-league debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, a landmark moment as the first African-American to break baseball’s color barrier.

No image captures that historic aspect of the day better than this photo taken from April 15, 1947 — Robinson, arm in arm with three white Dodgers teammates: Spider Jorgensen, Pee Wee Reese, and Eddie Stanky. This was a sport embracing something in a way that helped society do the same.

What do you remember most about Jackie Robinson? If you’ve seen the new movie “42” celebrating his life, what did you like best about the movie? This is a day to celebrate all things Jackie Robinson, so your comments are welcome.

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