Jackie Robinson Museum hosts day of education, volunteering

NEW YORK -- On April 15, 1947, a 28-year-old Jackie Robinson took the field with the Brooklyn Dodgers and became the first African American to play in the Major Leagues.

On Monday, all of baseball commemorated the 77th anniversary of that historic game with the annual celebration of Jackie Robinson Day.

This included a flurry of activities at the Jackie Robinson Museum, located in the lower west side of Manhattan. On Saturday, players from the Nike RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) programs and their families visited the museum to learn about Robinson’s life and impact on the game. Museum and MLB staff, along with organizers from the local RBI club, all collaborated to create a day of fun and learning for museum-goers.

Participants were greeted with custom Nike RBI t-shirts on arrival, then ushered to a second-floor events room for snacks and refreshments. The groups heard opening remarks from David James, MLB’s vice president of baseball and softball development, and Samantha Gibson, the director of education for the museum, who was also the tour guide for every group that visited.

Visitors learned about Robinson’s life and upbringing, including his early interest in sports and family dynamic. They also heard stories about his impressive athletic career and some of the more interesting facts about it, like the time in his life when he was known more for being a UCLA football player than he was for playing baseball.

The tour also taught visitors about the battles Robinson fought while in the military during World War II, even though he never left the country, due to the persistence of racial discrimination and prejudiced institutions.

The tour finished off with a round of trivia, with participants getting the opportunity to answer questions related to things they had learned about Robinson’s storied life. Activities included designing pennant flags and baseball cards, capping off an eventful and educational day for all attendees.

Employees from MLB’s Central Office also spent Monday volunteering at the museum, in partnership with Foster Love, a non-profit organization focused on improving the lives of foster children. Volunteers assembled gift boxes that were donated to a local foster care agency.

“Jackie's legacy -- it's a legacy of not just all of the amazing things that he did on the baseball field, but the amazing work he did to uplift the lives of others,” said April Brown, MLB’s senior vice president of social responsibility.

Brown’s own mother was a social worker within the New York City adoption and foster care system, so this type of event reminded her of the work those within this system do.

“Personally, it touches me, because it carries on my own family legacy of giving back to children in foster care,” she said.

Brown was not the only MLB employee in attendance who felt the desire to give back because of a personal connection.

“This is very special for me, what Jackie Robinson did for the game, because I’m actually a former player in the Minor Leagues years ago with the Blue Jays,” said Shawn Holtzclaw, director of security for MLB. He’s a former outfielder who was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 10th round of the 1989 MLB Draft and spent three years in their Minor League system.

“Just to know the path that others took in order for me to have that opportunity to be a part of MLB years ago when I played,” said Holtzclaw, “it's a very special occasion for me just to be a part of this, and to see this museum, and to just show my appreciation and support for what Jackie Robinson did for Major League Baseball.”

Facilitator Aliscia Borman, an alumna of one of Foster Love’s educational programs, guided the volunteers through the creation of their fist boxes.

“??What happens here is making true systemic change, I'm a direct and immediate example of what can happen when you pour into foster youth ... and change the trajectory, change their outlook on themselves,” said Borman.

Having gone through the foster system herself, Borman knows the true impact of what events like the day of volunteering or Nike RBI day can do.

“In a moment of instability where there's so much change and chaos around them, a bag with a beautiful teddy bear ... it can remain that stagnant, stable item that keeps on moving with them,” she said.

Jackie Robinson Day, and all the baseball world does to commemorate it, is representative of the enduring legacy Robinson not only created, but that his family members, and eternal fans, have worked so hard to maintain.