For the first time since 1988, the Los Angeles Dodgers are in The World Series. Quite naturally, this fact highlights the fact that the Dodgers were racial pioneers in opening their doors to African-Americans, allowing the first one of us to play in major league baseball. It must be remembered that the Dodgers were located in Brooklyn, NY, when Jackie entered The League in 1947, and were called “The Brooklyn Dodgers” at that time.

In winning the National League pennant this year, they wanted to pay homage to their storied History, so they invited Jackie Robinson’s widow, Rachel, still alive and with her family, to Dodger Stadium, for the opening game. Mrs. Rachel Robinson’s presence at the game served to send me to a place of gratefulness. I have been an out-of-my-mind sports fan since I was 6 years old. Life, History and maturity have given me a profound sense of how much I, along with countless other African-Americans, owe this man, Mr. Jackie Robinson, for his life’s work. He blazed a trail when there wasn’t one there to follow. Anyone who does not know what I mean needs to go and do the research to discover it. Several years ago, I was fortunate to read the brilliant biography of Robinson written by Arnold Rampersad. The book made me overjoyed to discover that Robinson was great friends with boxer Joe Louis. I felt a connection coming from the fact that I know that my father held great respect for both men. Robinson is the main reason that an overwhelming number of Black men of my father’s generation were Dodger fans.