How to celebrate Jackie Robinson Day in Gastonia
Every year, Major League Baseball celebrates the impact of its first African American player of the 20th century with Jackie Robinson Day.
This year, Gastonia’s African American Museum of History and Culture is working with Tabernacle Baptist Church to bring the celebration to the city.
According to Major League Baseball’s website, Jackie Robinson made his debut appearance in the league on April 15, 1947, and retired 10 seasons later after the 1956 campaign.
Robinson left his career after playing six World Series games and winning the 1949 National League Most Valuable Player Award, according to the National Baseball Hall of Fame website.
Since Robinson's death in 1972, the Major League has found numerous ways to honor his life, including retiring his number across the league in 1997, declaring April 15 to be Jackie Robinson Day in 2004, and requiring all Major League players and staff to wear a number 42 jersey during games scheduled on April 15 since the creation of Jackie Robinson Day.
In the spirit of sports and remembering Jackie Robinson, Gastonia’s Jackie Robinson Day event will take on a baseball theme.
Visitors attending the event at 6 p.m. in the Tabernacle Baptist Church Family Life Center, located at 519 W. 19th Ave., will start with one speaker before moving to the next “base” until they have had a chance to hear from and meet with all of the athletes in attendance.
Some local athletes like Mo Hill, a Gastonia baseball player who went on to play professionally for the Baltimore Orioles, and Eric “Sleepy” Floyd who had some similar experiences as Robinson early in his career, will be at the event, according to African American Museum of Culture and History Director Dot Guthrie.
In addition to hearing from local African American athletes, guests can also see books about Robinson’s life that will be on sale.
Guthrie said the museum hopes the books will be useful to children who might be looking for more information about Robinson’s life after the event.
“We want to leave an impact,” Guthrie said.
She added that remembering people like Robinson and their work creating history can help children develop character, perseverance, determination, respect and other attributes that are critical to a person’s success in life.
“Come, bring your children. Learn about Jackie Robinson, and how he used his faith and determination to break the color barrier in baseball,” the museum said in a post about the event.
This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: How to celebrate Jackie Robinson Day in Gastonia
