[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 46 (Thursday, April 17, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3385-S3386]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 TRIBUTE TO JACKIE AND RACHEL ROBINSON

 Mr. DODD. Mr. President, this past Tuesday, more than 34,000 
baseball fans, including President Clinton, came to Shea Stadium in New 
York to honor Jackie Robinson on the 50th anniversary of his breaking 
the color barrier for major league baseball. For all Americans, and 
especially for African-Americans, Jackie Robinson's historic 
achievement was a source of inspiration, and it forever changed the 
face of our society.
  Jackie Robinson's legacy is of particular importance to the State of 
Connecticut, because Jackie Robinson's family retired to Stamford in 
1956. Among those in attendance at Shea Stadium on Tuesday were 640 
children from Stamford, who are participants in the Jackie Robinson 
Park of Fame project. The project's goal is to celebrate Jackie 
Robinson's life and instill our young people with courage and 
confidence.
  Hopefully, these children will learn about Jackie Robinson's heroic 
feats on the baseball diamond, and, most of all, the grace with which 
he overcame the many obstacles that were placed in his path as he 
sought to almost single-handedly integrate our national pastime. More 
important, I hope that these children and all Americans will learn 
about Jackie Robinson's sacrifices away from baseball and his undying 
commitment to uplifting his race and his country.
  For anyone who saw Jackie Robinson play, they would probably be 
surprised to learn that some believe baseball was Jackie's worst sport. 
He was UCLA's first-ever four-sport letterman, starring in football, 
basketball, and track, as well as baseball. While there were many Negro 
League players who were talented enough to play in the major leagues, 
Jackie Robinson was a special person whose intelligence, character, and 
athleticism uniquely qualified him to become major league baseball's 
first African-American player.
  When Brooklyn Dodgers' President Branch Rickey signed Jackie Robinson 
to break baseball's color line, Jackie had to agree that, for two full 
seasons, he would turn the other cheek no matter what abuse was 
directed at him by opposing players and fans. Jackie Robinson withstood 
a seemingly endless barrage of verbal, physical, and psychological 
assaults and was still able to excel in nearly every facet of the game 
with an uncommon dignity. When Robinson would slide into second base 
with an easy double, the opposing shortstop would sometimes slam Jackie 
in the face with his glove so hard that you could hear it in the 
dugout. In response, Jackie Robinson would simply stand up, dust 
himself off, and then steal third on the very next pitch.
  Jackie Robinson's quiet humility and devotion to principle stand in 
sharp contrast to today's pro athletes who seem more interested in 
corporate sponsorships and performance bonuses in their multimillion 
dollar contracts than in giving back to their communities. For Jackie 
Robinson, baseball was about more than individual statistics and 
lucrative contracts. It was about breaking down barriers and instilling 
others with a sense of hope.
  Jackie Robinson's silence did not last forever, and his actions after 
retiring from baseball are often overlooked but equally deserving of 
praise. Many would argue that, by integrating baseball, Jackie Robinson 
had done more for the cause of racial justice than any other individual 
of that era. But Jackie Robinson did not view his baseball career as 
the peak of his life, and his greatest contributions to American 
society may have come after his retirement.
  Whereas his fame and wealth would have allowed him to enjoy a very 
comfortable retirement, Jackie Robinson remained committed to the fight 
against racism and social injustice until his death. He helped to 
establish the Freedom National Bank in Harlem, which provided loans to 
African-Americans trying to start their own businesses. He also founded 
his own construction company which built housing for low-income 
families in New York.
  Jackie Robinson was also active politically. He spoke throughout the 
country in support of civil rights, participated in protest marches, 
and raised large sums of money for civil rights organizations. He also 
worked actively for several politicians who promoted the cause of 
racial equality.
  Despite all the sacrifices in his life, Jackie Robinson always 
maintained that there was more work to be done. Hence, he entitled his 
autobiography, ``I Never Had It Made.'' He wrote, ``I am grateful for 
all the breaks and honors and opportunities I've had, but I always 
believe I won't have it made until the humblest black kid in the most 
remote backwoods of America has it made.''
  Unfortunately, 50 years after the fall of baseball's color barrier 
and 25 years after Jackie Robinson's death, America still has a long 
way to go if it hopes to ever meet Jackie Robinson's vision of what 
America should be. But while we still have not evolved into a society 
that is completely free from prejudice and social injustice, there are 
countless visible signs of Jackie Robinson's impact on this country.
  Last week, we all witnessed a true testament to Jackie Robinson's 
legacy as we watched 21-year-old Tiger Woods become the first person of 
color to win the Masters--golf's most prestigious tournament. But 
perhaps the most encouraging aspect of Tiger Woods' performance came 
during his acceptance speech. Tiger Woods specifically credited Lee 
Elder, Charlie Sifford, and Teddy Rhodes, the first African-Americans 
to ever compete at Augusta, for opening doors for him. He acknowledged 
that, without the sacrifices of trailblazers like these men and Jackie 
Robinson, very few of today's minority athletes would know the success 
that they have grown accustomed to. This is why we must celebrate the 
achievements of Jackie Robinson and other pioneers, because the lessons 
that they taught us are as relevant today as they were decades ago, and 
we must heed their words and actions or we will cease to be a 
progressive society.
  Tuesday night's event at Shea Stadium had many special moments, but

[[Page S3386]]

the most touching came when Rachel Robinson, Jackie's widow, spoke in 
honor of her husband, and the audience gave her the warm ovation that 
she so richly deserved. Her sacrifices were as great as her husband's, 
and too often we forget that Jackie Robinson, who was described as the 
loneliest man in sports, endured and prevailed only with the support of 
his partner Rachel, who was always by his side.
  Rachel Robinson sacrificed her own personal aspirations during 
Jackie's playing career and dedicated herself to raising their children 
and supporting her husband. But upon their retirement to Connecticut, 
she earned her master's degree in psychiatric nursing at Yale. She 
later operated a day clinic for acutely ill psychiatric patients, 
taught at Yale's School of Nursing, and served as director of nursing 
for the Connecticut Mental Health Center. Despite her own personal 
success, Rachel Robinson again displayed tremendous selflessness after 
Jackie's death in 1972.
  Upon his passing, it would have been easy for Rachel Robinson to 
continue the pursuit of her own career, but instead she gave up her 
medical career and dedicated her life to preserving the legacy of her 
husband. In 1973, she formed the Jackie Robinson Foundation, which has 
awarded more than 450 college scholarships to minority and 
disadvantaged students who have exhibited leadership potential and 
shown a commitment to community service. Throughout his life, Jackie 
Robinson always stressed the importance of education, and for a man 
whose life was dedicated to creating opportunities for others, 
providing young adults the chance to go to college is perhaps the most 
fitting tribute one could ever pay to this great man. I am proud to say 
that Rachel Robinson still resides in my home State of Connecticut, and 
we are truly fortunate to call her one of our own.
  While many glorious words have been spoken in honor of Jackie 
Robinson, I truly believe that the greatest tribute that we could ever 
pay to this man would be through our actions. As Rachel Robinson 
eloquently said, ``This anniversary * * * has given us an opportunity 
to reassess the challenges of the present. It is my passionate hope 
that we can take this reawakened feeling of unity and use it as a 
driving force so that each of us can recommit to equality of 
opportunity for all Americans.'' I hope that America will listen to the 
words of Rachel Robinson and work together to fulfill Jackie's and her 
dream.
  America is a better place because of Jackie and Rachel Robinson, and 
I want to thank both of them for their courage and sacrifice.

                          ____________________