Chuck Schumer: “Today all of my colleagues from Brooklyn joined me to introduce legislation awarding a Congressional Gold Medal to Jack…”

“Today all of my colleagues from Brooklyn joined me to introduce legislation awarding a Congressional Gold Medal to Jack Roosevelt Robinson. The legislation cites Jackie Robinson's ``enduring contributions to racial equality, athletics, business, and charitable causes'' as the ample justification for this honor. But he would deserve 10 gold medals just for his most famous act. On April 15, 1947, Jack Roosevelt Robinson changed America forever. All he did was walk out onto the grass of Ebbetts Field to play a game for a few hours. But those few steps were as important in our history as the moonwalk. Like the moonwalk, Americans old enough to remember know just what they were doing that day. And the courage he showed was just as great as the courage of those astronauts. From the moment Jackie Robinson integrated baseball, he began to integrate America too. The next year, the Armed Forces were desegregated. The Nation's schools followed a few years later. The last time Jackie Robinson stepped to the plate in 1956, America was a very different place--and it was on its way to even greater changes in the near future. The path was never easy, but finally our Nation was forced to confront the legacy of racism and the challenges of creating a truly united country. For Brooklyn, that day in 1947 is an especially treasured moment. We are bursting with pride that Jackie Robinson made history right here.”