[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 57 (Tuesday, May 6, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E846]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING THE LEGACY OF JACKIE ROBINSON

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ROBERT A. UNDERWOOD

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 6, 1997

  Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, as a lifelong Dodger fan, it gives me 
extreme pleasure to pay tribute to one of America's great heroes, 
Jackie Robinson.
  Jackie Robinson demonstrated amazing athletic ability as a young man. 
We all know of his greatness on the baseball field, but what many 
forget is that while he was a student at UCLA, Robinson lettered in 
four sports; football, basketball, track, and, or course, baseball. 
Ironically, it is widely believed that baseball was actually his 
weakest sport.
  Robinson made significant contributions to America's pastime as a 
ball player. But more lasting than those are his contributions to our 
Nation by the man he was both on and off the field. This young ball 
player challenged America's preconceptions about African-Americans and 
helped break the sterotypes of inferiority which were pervasive in 
white America 50 years ago.
  In the April 15, 1997, edition of the Washington Post, Michael Wilbon 
describes a historic bridge between Jackie Robinson and Tiger Woods and 
goes on to say that, ``this isn't just about sports, however, the venue 
is sports, and, as is often the case, sports is the earliest setting 
for significant social change.''
  The most radical thing Robinson may have ever done was simply walk 
out onto the field. Because the moment he stepped onto Ebbets Field, he 
was on equal footing with his teammates and his opponents. The rules of 
segregated America no longer applied and America got just a glimpse of 
equality--an equality we haven't yet reached. But the athletic field is 
ultimately one of the few places--like the battlefield--where one's 
talents and abilities cannot be mitigated. They can keep you from 
playing--as people afraid of equality will try. But once you get on the 
field, equality and all its blessings begin to manifest themselves. 
Once Jackie took the field, there was no turning back. It was not 
because there weren't those who tried to turn back, it was not because 
everyone wanted to move forward, but it was because of Jackie's 
unshakable faith in equality and his incredible athletic ability that 
moved us all forward.
  And all of us moved forward 50 years ago when Jackie put on his 
cleats--all of us, white and black, those of us who are neither, and 
most especially those of us who weren't even born yet.
  It is for this reason that I am concerned that today's America, 
despite some social progress and despite the great interest in sports 
as a venue for social advancement as well as entertainment, does not 
fully appreciate his efforts. It is striking that so many young people 
do not fully appreciate the legacy of Jackie Robinson, not for the 
generation that endured that time in America's history, but for today's 
generation and for generations yet to come.
  His unique combination of courage, grace, intelligence, athletic 
ability and tenacity marks Jackie Robinson as a great human being. He 
turned his cleats into weapons for social change as well as stealing 
bases. He used his bat for justice as well as base hits. He used his 
glove not just to catch baseballs--or even catch hell, which he 
certainly did--but as a way to turn the hard heads of bigotry into 
respectful, even admiring minds. It reminds one of the smoothness of 
turning a hard grounder into a quick but graceful double play.
  I thank you Jackie Robinson for making baseball the great game that 
it is. But I thank you more for helping America challenge itself to be 
a greater nation and to be true to its promise for democracy and 
opportunity for all.
  We are all part of the great American project to perfect democracy 
for each and every generation. It is clear that Jackie Robinson did 
more than his share. In fact, he carried the load of an entire 
generation.

                          ____________________