In 1962, Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Ten years later, Robinson died of heart problems and complications of diabetes. His Brooklyn Dodgers jersey number, number 42, is the only number retired in major league baseball history. He is a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Congressional Gold Medal, Spingarn Medal and the National League Most Valuable Player Award.
Jackie Robinson and his long road to victory is told in the upcoming film “42” by award-winning Director Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential). This biopic tells the story of the courageous baseball player who accepted the challenge of integrating the all-white professional baseball league with the help of then Dodgers owner Branch Rickey in 1946; nearly twenty years before the civil rights movement.
The role of Jackie Robinson is portrayed by actor Chadwick Boseman, who embodies the character as if the current year is 1946, and he had never seen a bathroom door without a Jim Crow sign. Boseman is accompanied in the cast by Nicole Beharie who stars as Rachel, Robinson’s wife, and also his biggest fan and backbone. The story is brought together through the character portrayed by Academy-Award Nominee, Harrison Ford, who super-starred as Branch Rickey.
“42” starts in theaters April 12, 2013, three days before the actual annual “Jackie Robinson Day” is celebrated by all baseball teams. This year marks the 66th anniversary of Robinson’s break in history.
Little Known Black History Fact: Jackie Robinson was originally published on blackamericaweb.com
