Bill Text: MO HCR30 | 2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Recognizes April 15, 2013 as "Jackie Robinson Day" in Missouri in honor of the first African American to play major league baseball
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-04-15 - Referred: Rules(H) [HCR30 Detail]
Download: Missouri-2013-HCR30-Introduced.html
FIRST REGULAR SESSION
House Concurrent Resolution No. 30
97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES DUNN (Sponsor), MIMS, WALTON GRAY, NICHOLS, ELLINGTON, MUNTZEL, PIERSON, ENGLUND, RUNIONS, CURTIS, OTTO AND MCDONALD (Co-sponsors).
WHEREAS, Jack Roosevelt Robinson, born on January 31, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia, to a family of sharecroppers, and was the first African-American to play major league baseball; and
WHEREAS, throughout his decade-long career with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Jackie Robinson made advancements in the cause of civil rights for black athletes; and
WHEREAS, from 1942 to 1944, Robinson served as a second lieutenant in the United States Army. He never saw combat, however, he was arrested and court-martialed during boot camp after he refused to move to the back of a segregated bus during training. Robinson was later acquitted of the charges and received an honorable discharge. His courage and moral objection to segregation were precursors to the impact Robinson would have in major league baseball; and
WHEREAS, when Robinson began to play professional baseball, the sport was segregated, and African-Americans and whites played in separate leagues; and
WHEREAS, Robinson was recommended by Hilton Smith, Hall of Fame pitcher for the Kansas City Monarchs, to owner of the Monarchs, J.L. Wilkinson, who signed Robinson to his first professional contract in the Negro League; and
WHEREAS, Robinson played his first game in Kansas City with the Monarchs on May 6, 1945, and went 1-for-4 with a run-scoring double in the Monarchs 6-2 home-opening defeat of the Chicago American Giants; and
WHEREAS, Robinson replaced All-Star Jesse Williams at shortstop. Williams moved to second base and the two formed a formidable double play combination. Both were named to the East-West All-Star game in 1945; and
WHEREAS, when the Monarchs were home, Robinson primarily stayed at the Street Hotel, a Black-owned hotel formerly located at the corner of 18th and The Paseo, less than a block from where the Negro League Baseball Museum currently operates; and
WHEREAS, Robinson enjoyed the ribs at Ol' Kentuck Barbecue, which was later operated by George Gates, the father of barbeque baron Ollie Gates and the forerunner to Kansas City's ever-popular Gates Barbeque restaurants; and
WHEREAS, Robinson played in 41 games for the Kansas City Monarchs, with a .345 batting average, 10 doubles, 4 triples, and 5 home runs. Robinson's salary was $400 a month; and
WHEREAS, Robinson was chosen by Branch Rickey, president of the Brooklyn Dodgers, to help integrate major league baseball and joined the all-white Montreal Royals, a farm team of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1946. On April 15, 1947, Robinson played his first game in Ebbets Field for the Brooklyn Dodgers; and
WHEREAS, Branch Rickey knew there would be difficult times ahead for the young athlete, so he made Robinson promise to not fight back when confronted with racism. From the beginning of his career, Robinson was tested, with even some of his teammates objecting to having an African-American on their team; and
WHEREAS, people in the crowds sometimes jeered at Robinson and his family received threats. In one infamous game, the Philadelphia Phillies manager Ben Chapman and his team shouted derogatory terms at Robinson from their dugout; and
WHEREAS, many players from opposing teams threatened not to play against the Dodgers. Even his own teammates threatened to sit out, but Dodgers manager Leo Durocher informed them that he would sooner trade them than Robinson. Durocher's loyalty to Robinson set the tone for the rest of his career with the Dodgers; and
WHEREAS, Jackie Robinson succeeded in putting the prejudice and racial strife aside, and showed everyone what a talented player he was. In his first year, Robinson hit 12 home runs, led the National League in stolen bases, was selected as Rookie of the Year, and helped the Dodgers win the National League pennant; and
WHEREAS, Robinson soon became a hero of baseball, even among former critics, and was the subject of the popular song, "Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball?". An exceptional base runner, Robinson stole home 19 times in his career, setting a league record. He also became the highest-paid athlete in Dodger history, and his success in the major leagues opened the door for other African-American players, such as Satchel Paige, Willie Mays, and Hank Aaron; and
WHEREAS, Jackie Robinson also became a vocal champion for African-American athletes, civil rights, and other social and political causes. In 1949, he testified on discrimination before the House Un-American Activities Committee. In 1952, he publicly called out the Yankees as a racist organization for not having broken the color barrier five years earlier after he began playing with the Dodgers; and
WHEREAS, in his decade-long career with the Dodgers, Robinson and his team won the National League pennant several times. Finally, in 1955, he helped them achieve the ultimate victory: the World Series; and
WHEREAS, after baseball, Robinson became active in business and continued his work as an activist for social change. He served on the board of the NAACP until 1967 and was the first African-American to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. In 1972, the Dodgers retired his uniform number of 42; and
WHEREAS, in later years, Robinson continued to lobby for greater integration in sports. After his death on October 24, 1972, his wife established the Jackie Robinson Foundation dedicated to honoring his life and work by helping young people in need through scholarships and mentoring programs; and
WHEREAS, in 1997, the world celebrated the 50th Anniversary of Jackie's breaking of major league baseball's color barrier, honoring the man who stood defiantly against those who would work against racial equality and acknowledged the profound influence of one man's life on the American culture:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the members of the House of Representatives of the Ninety-seventh General Assembly, First Regular Session, the Senate concurring therein, hereby recognize the achievements of Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson, both on and off the baseball field, as the first African-American major league baseball player and in his courageous civil rights activism in the face of racial abuse and harassment; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of the Missouri General Assembly recognize April 15, 2013, as "Jackie Robinson Day" in Missouri, and encourage the citizens of this state to observe the day with appropriate activities and events to honor the achievements and legacy of Jackie Robinson, the first African-American to play major league baseball.
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