History

Jackie Robinson

Jack Roosevelt Robinson rose from humble origins to cross baseball's color line and become one of the most beloved men in America. A fierce integrationist, Robinson used his immense fame to speak out against the discrimination he saw on and off the field, angering fans, the press, and even teammates who had once celebrated him for turning the other cheek.

The Anderson Monarchs

4m 15s

The Anderson Monarchs are the Little League team from South Philadelphia named after the Kansas City Monarchs, which was the legendary Negro League team for which Jackie Robinson played before breaking Major League Baseball's color barrier in 1947.

Episodes

  • Part II: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Part II

    S1 E2 - 1h 54m

    Jack Roosevelt Robinson rose from humble origins to cross baseball’s color line and become one of the most beloved men in America. A fierce integrationist, Robinson used his immense fame to speak out against the discrimination he saw on and off the field, angering fans, the press, and even teammates who had once celebrated him for “turning the other cheek.”

  • Part I: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Part I

    S1 E1 - 1h 53m

    Jack Roosevelt Robinson rose from humble origins to cross baseball’s color line and become one of the most beloved men in America. A fierce integrationist, Robinson used his immense fame to speak out against the discrimination he saw on and off the field, angering fans, the press, and even teammates who had once celebrated him for “turning the other cheek.”

Extras + Features

  • First Look: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    First Look

    S1 - 44s

    JACKIE ROBINSON, a film by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon, examines the life and times of Jack Roosevelt Robinson, who lifted an entire race, and nation, on his shoulders when he crossed baseball’s color line in 1947. Check local listings for rebroadcast information.

  • Jackie Robinson Fades: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Jackie Robinson Fades

    S1 - 2m 42s

    Learn how the public perception of Jackie Robinson, militancy, black masculinity, and the Civil Rights Movement transformed between the 1950s-1960s. This clip pairs with the "Integration or Separation?" educational unit in the classroom section of PBS.org/JackieRobinson

  • Reese and Robinson Myth: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Reese and Robinson Myth

    S1 - 2m 21s

    In this clip from JACKIE ROBINSON, the facts of the story behind the Jackie Robinson and Pee Wee Reese Monument are examined.

  • Jackie Speaks Out: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Jackie Speaks Out

    S1 - 2m 31s

    See the moment Jackie Robinson began challenging other ballplayers and umpires. Reporters began to come to Jackie directly, as he spoke out more, and played a season better than ever before.

  • Jackie Enters the Majors: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Jackie Enters the Majors

    S1 - 3m 23s

    April 15, 1947, opening day at Ebbets Field: playing first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers was number 42, Jackie Robinson. The Dodgers won, and the black press declared Jackie’s arrival as a landmark event. The white press did not acknowledge Robinson's entry into the Majors. This clip pairs with the "Taking the Measure of the Man" educational unit in the classroom section of PBS.org/JackieRobinson

  • 1944 Court-Martial: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    1944 Court-Martial

    S1 - 3m 42s

    In 1944, Jackie Robinson refused to move to the back of a military bus, when told to by a civilian driver. Jackie was arrested, charged with insubordination, and court-martialed. During the proceedings, he was prohibited from being deployed.

  • Social Justice: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Social Justice

    S1 - 4m 19s

    The Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education outlaws racial segregation in schools, but it does not mean total change at once. The reaction in the South is immediate and angry. As the push for social justice accelerated across the country, Robinson tried to do his part, but old customs remained entrenched both in the North and South.

  • Ice Cream: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Ice Cream

    S1 - 1m 1s

    In this clip from JACKIE ROBINSON, Alton Waldon of Brooklyn shares a childhood memory of when he and his school friends met Jackie Robinson, who treated the children to ice cream that day, and whom they revered as "a real hero who looked like" them. #JackieRobinsonPBS

  • Jackie Robinson and Malcolm X: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Jackie Robinson and Malcolm X

    S1 - 3m 25s

    Rachel Robinson discusses Jackie's stance against violence and the rhetoric surrounding it, and his perspective on Malcolm X. Jackie denounced Malcolm X as "a man without a plan" and accused him of being "militant on Harlem street corners, where militancy is not dangerous." This clip pairs with the "Integration or Separation?" educational unit in the classroom section of PBS.org/JackieRobinson

  • The Negro Leagues: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    The Negro Leagues

    S1 - 1m 6s

    Learn how Jackie Robinson entered the Negro Leagues, playing for the Kansas City Monarchs. In this clip, Buck O’Neil recounts when the team bus stopped at a filling station in Oklahoma, and the station attendant stated that the restroom was "for whites only.” Robinson told the attendant “No restroom, no gas.” Fearing the loss of a large sale of gasoline, the attendant agreed to let them use it.

  • March on Washington: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    March on Washington

    S1 - 2m 19s

    Witness the deep impact the March on Washington had both on the nation and on Jackie Robinson and his family, who traveled to attend.

Schedule

WETA Passport

Stream tens of thousands of hours of your PBS and local favorites with WETA Passport whenever and wherever you want. Catch up on a single episode or binge-watch full seasons before they air on TV.