Program will discuss baseball legend Jackie Robinson

In this April 15, 1947, file photo, Brooklyn Dodgers baseball players, from left, third baseman John Jorgensen, shortstop Pee Wee Reese, second baseman Ed Stanky, and first baseman Jackie Robinson pose before the opener at Ebbets Field. AP Photo/Harry Harris, File

MANHATTAN — THE BROOKLYN DODGERS’ BELOVED JACKIE ROBINSON, who was the first player inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, was also an Army officer who fought for his country during World War II and for the rights of his fellow Black service members.

The state Department of Veterans’ Services and the Jackie Robinson Museum on Varick Street have partnered to present a panel discussion on the baseball legend’s history of activism. Titled “Jackie Robinson and Black Military Service, WWII to Today,” the program is being held next Thursday, Nov. 6, in honor of Veterans Month. The discussion will highlight Robinson’s service as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army during World War II, his fight against racial injustice, and ways in which his activism continues to inspire black service members and all who served.

Featured speakers are Viviana M. DeCohen, Commissioner, Dept. of Veterans’ Services; Richard Brookshire, co-CEO and cofounder of the Black Veterans Project; and Jeffrey T. Sammons, professor emeritus, New York University.

Registration and ticket purchase is required for the general public. However, active military personnel, veterans and federal employees can obtain free tickets, thanks to the generosity of the Jackie Robinson Museum.

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