Rachel Robinson Liberty Medal Feature for the New York Post
BIG-LEAGUE HEART
WIDOW KEEPS JACKIE LEGACY ALIVE
By DENIS GORMAN
August 14, 2006 -- Helping young people break barriers is what Rachel Robinson does best.
The widow of baseball legend Jackie Robinson has spent more than three decades continuing his pioneering work, by granting minority students college scholarships.
"It is extremely rewarding because I see an institution that is assisting young people to become educated and develop their leadership potential," she said.
"We're having students going out into the world better prepared than they were."
For her efforts, Robinson, 84, has been nominated by a reader for a Post Liberty Medal for Lifetime Achievement.
Following the Brook lyn Dodger great's death in 1972, his wife started the Jackie Rob inson Foundation, which granted its first scholarship in 1977. Since then, 97 percent of those granted schol arships have graduated college.
"We don't just give money and wish them well, as many programs do," Rachel Robinson said proudly. "Our program is comprehensive. They have mentoring - all kinds of support systems."
Next season will be the 60th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking baseball's color barrier, a milestone his widow will observe at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
"We are being inundated with requests from schoolchildren for information," she said.
"One of the things we discovered is that sometimes they don't know about the period. Some of the younger kids don't believe [segregation] happened."
Robinson said her work is a tribute to her husband, adding, "I think he'd feel that we are carrying on something that he began."
http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/big_league_heart_regionalnews_denis_gorman.htm
WIDOW KEEPS JACKIE LEGACY ALIVE
By DENIS GORMAN
August 14, 2006 -- Helping young people break barriers is what Rachel Robinson does best.
The widow of baseball legend Jackie Robinson has spent more than three decades continuing his pioneering work, by granting minority students college scholarships.
"It is extremely rewarding because I see an institution that is assisting young people to become educated and develop their leadership potential," she said.
"We're having students going out into the world better prepared than they were."
For her efforts, Robinson, 84, has been nominated by a reader for a Post Liberty Medal for Lifetime Achievement.
Following the Brook lyn Dodger great's death in 1972, his wife started the Jackie Rob inson Foundation, which granted its first scholarship in 1977. Since then, 97 percent of those granted schol arships have graduated college.
"We don't just give money and wish them well, as many programs do," Rachel Robinson said proudly. "Our program is comprehensive. They have mentoring - all kinds of support systems."
Next season will be the 60th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking baseball's color barrier, a milestone his widow will observe at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
"We are being inundated with requests from schoolchildren for information," she said.
"One of the things we discovered is that sometimes they don't know about the period. Some of the younger kids don't believe [segregation] happened."
Robinson said her work is a tribute to her husband, adding, "I think he'd feel that we are carrying on something that he began."
http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/big_league_heart_regionalnews_denis_gorman.htm
posted by Denis P. Gorman at 10:51 AM
