Bill > HR6019

This resolution recognizes April 15, 2025, as Jackie Robinson Day, honoring the groundbreaking baseball player and civil rights pioneer. The resolution highlights Robinson's remarkable achievements, including being the first African American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) when he started for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. It details his impressive athletic background as a four-sport athlete at UCLA, his military service where he was commissioned as a second lieutenant and honorably discharged after challenging racial segregation, and his professional baseball career during which he won Rookie of the Year in 1947 and Most Valuable Player in 1949. The resolution also emphasizes Robinson's significant contributions beyond sports, including his work in expanding human rights, improving working conditions, speaking at the 1963 March on Washington, and co-founding Black-owned financial and construction enterprises. It notes MLB's tribute to Robinson, including the retirement of his uniform number 42 across all teams and the annual tradition of players wearing his number on April 15th to commemorate his groundbreaking achievements both on and off the baseball field. The resolution, sponsored by Representatives Daniel Hawkins and Patrick Penn, aims to honor Robinson's lasting legacy in baseball, the military, and the civil rights movement.

https://kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hr6019/