Jackie Robinson, the American baseball player who broke the color barrier in the major leagues by playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers, will be honored here this month by Canadian Jewish and black leaders.
“The Jewish community of Quebec is proud to work in collaboration with the Jackie Robinson Anniversary Committee and the black community to stage these commemorative events,” said Reisa Teitelbaum, president of the CJC’s Quebec Region.
The commemorative events are being organized by the Jackie Robinson 50th Anniversary Committee.
Robinson began his professional career in 1946 with the Dodgers’ farm team, the Montreal Royals of the defunct triple-A International League, becoming the first black player to play professionally outside the Negro League.
He led the Dodgers to six World Series appearances in his 10 years with the team. In 1962, he became the first black player to enter the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
He died in 1972 at the age of 53.
“At a time when black athletes were refused entry into professional baseball, with his strength of character and his perseverance, Jackie Robinson succeeded in opening doors to new values of pluralism,” Teitelbaum said. “It is important that these historical events continue to inspire us to promote the values of respect and tolerance.”
A bronze statue of Robinson has stood outside Montreal’s Olympic Stadium since it opened for baseball in 1977.