Jackie Robinson is best known for breaking baseball’s color barrier, but a panel at the Jackie Robinson Museum on Thursday highlighted his earlier activism as a U.S. Army officer challenging discrimination within the military.
“The core mission of this museum is to make sure people understand the broad spectrum of Jackie’s activism,” said Della Britton, president and CEO of the Jackie Robinson Foundation and Museum.
A panel Thursday at the museum explored how that activism began in uniform, with panelists saying Robinson’s fight for equality began long before he took the field.
“He constantly challenged—now the Constitution says this—why are we not being included? The Constitution says, ‘We are one nation under God,’” Britton said.
She added that Robinson’s military struggle remains relevant today.
New York Department of Veterans’ Service Commissioner Viviana DeCohen said the barriers Robinson pushed mirror what many Black service members still face.
“We still have the lowest rate of Black officers across the military today. We still have the highest numbers of the V.A. disability claims that are denied,” DeCohen said.
Defense Department reviews show Black service members face harsher discipline and are underrepresented in leadership roles. Federal data also indicates Black veterans are less likely to have disability claims approved on their first submission.
“We still have discrimination, and we still don’t recognize the contributions that many people have made to this country,” Britton said.
But for many, Robinson’s story isn’t history. It’s a reminder to push the system closer to ideals he fought for eight decades ago.
“I stand atop his shoulders so that we can go forth into the triumph of what it was that he was trying to establish, not only for the Black folk, but as he said, for all people,” Britton said.
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