Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, today is Jackie Robinson Day, declared such by Major League Baseball, but it should be declared such by the United States of America. On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier. For 80- some odd years, there were no African American players in the major leagues. Branch Rickey put Jackie Robinson on the Brooklyn Dodgers and baseball became integrated. It truly became America's national pastime. Today, Major League Baseball players will all wear number 42, a number retired and allowed to be worn only on this day in honor of Jackie Robinson on the occasion of integrating Major League Baseball. Jackie Robinson was a great American and a great athlete. He lettered in four sports at UCLA. He was a great major league player with the Brooklyn Dodgers and was honored by being inducted into the Hall of Fame. Today there is a Jackie Robinson Foundation that gives young people scholarships to go to college and to do good deeds. He was very much interested in moving America forward in civil rights, and he did all he could. I was fortunate to travel to Cuba with the President. I met his widow, Rachel, and his daughter, Sharon, who gave me a button--and this is a replica of it--designating April 15 as Jackie Robinson Day. I think we should all think about his contributions to America and what contributions we can make to America to make us a more perfect Union. Thank you, Jackie Robinson. ____________________”