Dodgers celebrate Robinson legacy in 'Dear Rachel' tribute video

April 15 is a special day on the baseball calendar each year as MLB honors the legacy of Jackie Robinson breaking baseball’s color barrier in 1947 for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

While Jackie is no longer with us, his wife Rachel Robinson has continued to carry on Jackie’s legacy and impact. In a short feature titled “Dear Rachel” posted by the Dodgers, countless influential people in and around the Dodgers organization directly thanked Rachel for her continued impact.

“I’m often asked the question who my hero is,” says Nichol Whiteman, CEO of the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation. “I undoubtedly respond my hero is you, Rachel Robinson.”

That sentiment is shared by the remaining speakers in the video, which features many prominent members from the Dodgers organization and the greater Los Angeles community including Mookie Betts, Jason Heyward, Dave Roberts, James Loney, Jerry Hairston Jr., Dusty Baker, Stan Kasten, Billie Jean King, Karren Bass and Dr. Harry Edwards.

“Thank you for carrying out Jackie’s legacy for so long,” Betts says to Rachel. “Jackie’s legacy means so much to me because now I can play baseball and not be hated or anything of that nature. He created paths not only for me, but all people of color to play this game."

Every Jackie Robinson Day, people in and around the baseball community are asked about the impact that Jackie made. At 101 years old, Rachel Robinson has continued to carry on and cement Jackie’s legacy for the last half-century. The Dodgers and baseball community must feel fortunate that -- after all these years -- Rachel is still with us to continue sharing Jackie’s story and impact beyond even the baseball landscape.

“Thank you for the work that you’ve done since Jackie left us in terms of promoting, celebrating and recognizing his contributions not just in the realm of sports but the realm of human and American life worldwide,” says Edwards, an American sociologist and civil rights activist.

Rachel’s impact might be best illustrated through the Jackie Robinson Foundation. Established in 1973 by Rachel to remember her husband, the foundation is an instrumental non-profit organization that administers scholarships and leadership development programs for talented college students. Rachel’s foundation helped spark the inspiration of the Jackie Robinson Museum that opened in New York City in 2022.