[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 69 (Monday, April 24, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S2489]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               JACKIE ROBINSON DAY AND THE TAMPA BAY RAYS

 Mr. NELSON. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize an 
important civil rights anniversary in the annals of our Nation's 
favorite pastime. Seventy years ago this month, Jackie Robinson started 
on first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers, becoming the first African 
American to play for a Major League Baseball team and marking the 
beginning of the end of racial segregation in baseball.
  That watershed moment came after a distinguished career in what were 
then known as the Negro Leagues, the coalition of teams for players of 
Color and whose retirees remain a vibrant part of the community in the 
Tampa Bay area of Florida.
  Jackie Robinson's contributions to the sport of baseball and to our 
Nation are unparalleled. His accolades ranged from ``Rookie of the 
Year'' in 1947 and ``Most Valuable Player'' in 1949 to the Presidential 
Medal of Freedom in 1984. In 2003, he was posthumously awarded the 
Congressional Gold Medal, the highest honor bestowed by Congress.
  His character and spirit have not ended with his passing, and his 
legacy remains a part of our communities, including the Tampa Bay area. 
Through the work of his wife, Rachel, and the Jackie Robinson 
Foundation, college-bound students have been provided with over $65 
million in grants, scholarships, and direct program support, resulting 
in a 98 percent graduation rate among recipients. Each of the students 
are mentored with consideration to the values espoused by Jackie 
Robinson himself--courage, determination, teamwork, persistence, 
integrity, citizenship, justice, excellence, and commitment.
  It is in honor of Jackie Robinson's character and contributions that 
teams across Major League Baseball honor him every April 15, on Jackie 
Robinson Day.
  In particular, I am especially proud to recognize the Tampa Bay Rays' 
work in its community to honor Jackie Robinson's legacy. To mark this 
year's anniversary, the Rays and their community partners carried out 
service projects in Pinellas and Hillsborough Counties, in 
neighborhoods now home to men who, like Jackie Robinson, once played in 
the Negro Leagues. Along with updating a local baseball park and 
beautifying small businesses in the 16th Street Business Corridor, the 
Rays honored nine ``unsung heroes'' in the Tampa Bay area who exemplify 
the aforementioned values Jackie Robinson held.
  The Rays' leadership and commitment to community represent the best 
of American citizenship and public service, and I am honored to 
recognize the team's work to uphold and live up to Jackie Robinson's 
legacy.

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