Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
ONLINE AT ONEONONE.ORG. OR FIND
US ON FACEBOOK AT
FACEBOOK.COM/STEVEADUBATOPHD.
>> DR. YOHURU WILLIAMS IS CHIEF
HISTORIAN AT THE JACKIE ROBINSON
FOUNDATION AND PROFESSOR AND
CHAIR OF DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY
AT FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY. GOOD TO
SEE YOU, DR. WILLIAMS.
>> NICE TO SEE YOU, STEVE.
THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> OUR PLEASURE. BY THE WAY, PUT
IT IN PERSPECTIVE FOR US. THE
JACKIE ROBINSON FOUNDATION IS...
>> IT WAS FOUNDED IN 1973 BY
JACKIE'S WIDOW, RACHEL ROBINSON,
TO ADVANCE JACKIE'S MEMORY, TO
MEMORIALIZE JACKIE BUT ALSO TO
DEAL WITH AN ISSUE THAT WAS VERY
NEAR AND DEAR TO JACKIE'S HEART,
AND THAT WAS ENSURING THAT YOUNG
PEOPLE OF COLOR WOULD HAVE
ACCESS TO EDUCATION, WOULD BE
ABLE TO AFFORD TO GO TO COLLEGE.
JACKIE, WHEN HE WAS AT UCLA, WAS
UNABLE TO COMPLETE, HAD TO DROP
OUT IN HIS SENIOR YEAR BECAUSE
HE RAN OUT OF FUNDING, AND SO IN
ORDER TO MEMORIALIZE HIM, RACHEL
SAID, "LET'S DO SOMETHING THAT
HE WOULD HAVE CARED ABOUT VERY
DEEPLY," AND THAT WAS ADDRESSING
THIS ISSUE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.
>> HOW'D YOU GET INVOLVED IN
THIS?
>> I CAME TO THE FOUNDATION
QUITE UNEXPECTEDLY. I HAD BEEN
DOING SOME WORK FOR ANOTHER
COMPANY AND RAN INTO THE
PRESIDENT, DELLA BAEZA,
AT THE CONGRESSIONAL BLACK
CAUCUS, AND SHE SAID, "HOW'D YOU
LIKE TO COME AND DO SOME WORK
WITH US IN NEW YORK FOR THE
JACKIE ROBINSON FOUNDATION?"
AND JACKIE IS SUCH AN ICONIC
FIGURE, AND THE FOUNDATION DOES
SUCH TREMENDOUS WORK I COULDN'T
TURN THEM DOWN.
>> YOU KNOW, FOR PEOPLE WHO
DON'T KNOW JACKIE ROBINSON, AND
IT'S FUNNY. WE'RE RIGHT HERE IN
MIDTOWN MANHATTAN. YOU CAN SEE
66 AND BROADWAY BEHIND US, BUT
RIGHT OVER IN BROOKLYN, YOU
KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING. YOU
THINK ABOUT THE DODGERS. I KNOW
BACK IN 1947...
>> '47.
>> JACKIE ROBINSON BROKE THE
COLOR LINE, RIGHT, IN BASEBALL.
PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE FOR US
AS TO HOW SIGNIFICANT IT WAS AND
WHAT JACKIE ROBINSON FACED AT
THAT TIME.
>> IT'S A TREMENDOUS STORY,
STEVE, PRIMARILY BECAUSE WE
OFTEN FORGET HOW RIGID
SEGREGATION WAS IN AMERICA AT
THAT TIME, AND SO WHEN BRANCH
RICKEY AND JACKIE ROBINSON GOT
TOGETHER--
>> BRANCH RICKEY WAS IN FACT THE
OWNER OF THE BROOKLYN DODGERS.
>> ABSOLUTELY. WHEN THEY GOT
TOGETHER TO EMBARK ON THIS
EXPERIMENT, NO ONE HAD ANY
EXPECTATION WHETHER IT WOULD BE
SUCCESSFUL OR NOT, SO THIS WAS A
GREAT UNDERTAKING. AND 1947 IS
KIND OF INTERESTING BECAUSE IT'S
POST-WORLD WAR II, AND CERTAINLY
THE NATION HAS THIS IDEOLOGICAL
CONFLICT WITH THE SOVIET UNION,
AND WE WERE TRYING TO MAKE THE
CASE THAT OUR DEMOCRACY HAD REAL
MEANING, AND SO AS JACKIE AND
BRANCH RICKEY ARE UNDERTAKING
THIS EXPERIMENT, WHAT THEY WERE
REALLY PUTTING ON TRIAL AND
PUTTING TO THE QUESTION IS, HOW
STRONG OUR DEMOCRACY WAS, AND
FORTUNATELY FOR US IT WAS A
SUCCESS, AND THEY TRANSFORMED
AMERICA.
>> BUT JACKIE FACED ALL KINDS OF
INDIGNITIES AND THINGS THAT
PEOPLE--YOU KNOW, IT'S
INTERESTING, WHEN I THINK ABOUT
THE TEAM--MY MOTHER HAPPENED TO
BE A BIG BROOKLYN DODGER FAN.
SHE'D TALK ABOUT PEE WEE REESE
AND DUKE SNIDER AND THE REST OF
THEM. WERE THEY GOOD TO JACKIE?
>> THEY WERE VERY GOOD TO
JACKIE, AND IN FACT, ONE OF THE
GREAT THINGS ABOUT THAT STORY
THAT WE LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOUNG
PEOPLE AND WHY WE FEEL THAT A
JACKIE ROBINSON MUSEUM IS SO
IMPORTANT IS THAT PEOPLE
UNDERSTAND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF
DIVERSITY IN THAT HISTORICAL
MOMENT. WE'VE COME SO LONG AS A
SOCIETY, AND WE WANT TO
CELEBRATE THAT EVOLUTION, BUT
AT THE SAME TIME, TELLING THOSE
STORIES, YOU KNOW, PEE WEE
REESE'S GESTURE OF COMING OUT
AND PUTTING HIS ARM AROUND
JACKIE ON THE FIELD ONE DAY AS
JACKIE WAS BEING HECKLED BY FANS
FROM THE OTHER TEAM CERTAINLY
SPEAKS TO THIS MOMENT IN AMERICA
WHERE PEOPLE STARTED TO, AS DR.
KING TALKED ABOUT, SEE PEOPLE
FOR THE CONTENT OF THEIR
CHARACTER, NOT THE COLOR OF YOUR
SKIN.
>> AND THE MUSEUM ITSELF, AS YOU
RAISE MONEY, YOU HAVE THE
FACILITY NOW.
>> WE DO.
>> AS YOU RAISE MONEY, WHAT IS
THE REST OF THE MONEY THAT
YOU'RE RAISING GOING TOWARD? IS
IT SCHOLARSHIPS?
>> WELL, THE SCHOLARSHIPS ARE
ACTUALLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE
FOUNDATION'S WORK WITH YOUNG
PEOPLE, SO THERE ARE KIND OF 2
ENTITIES THAT ARE OPERATING.
IT'S REALLY CREATING AN
EDUCATIONAL CENTER AND AN
OUTREACH PROGRAM THAT WILL ALLOW
US TO REACH CHILDREN THROUGHOUT
THE COUNTRY, IN FACT, THROUGHOUT
THE WORLD. OUR PRESIDENT HAS A
GLOBAL VISION FOR THIS MUSEUM.
SO WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT NOW--
>> THOSE ARE RENDERINGS, RIGHT?
>> ABSOLUTELY, YES, AND WHAT'S
TREMENDOUS ABOUT THIS, AGAIN, IS
THAT WE WANT THIS TO BE A SPACE
FOR DIALOGUE ABOUT ISSUES OF
RACE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE IN
AMERICA, AND IT'S UNFORTUNATE
THAT THERE IS NO MUSEUM OF CIVIL
RIGHTS IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK
THAT ADDRESSES THAT ISSUE.
>> THERE IS NOT?
>> THERE IS NOT. NOTHING THAT
DEALS WITH THE CIVIL RIGHTS
MOVEMENT IN THAT CONTEXT.
>> AND THIS WOULD BE AN
INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY FOR NEW
YORKERS AND EVERYONE ELSE IN THE
REGION, IN THE COUNTRY TO COME
TOGETHER IN THE NAME OF, IN THE
SPIRIT OF EVERYTHING THAT JACKIE
ROBINSON STOOD FOR TO TALK
HONESTLY, OPENLY, AND IN A
CONSTRUCTIVE, MEANINGFUL WAY
ABOUT RACE.
>> YES.
>> AND IT'S FUNNY. SAYING TALK
ABOUT RACE SOUNDS LIKE IT'S A
SUBJECT. IT'S NOT.
>> IT'S NOT. YOU KNOW, IT'S
INTERESTING ABOUT JACKIE BECAUSE
WE THINK OF HIM AS A BALL
PLAYER, BUT AFTER HE LEFT THE
DODGERS, HE WAS VERY INVOLVED IN
THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND
ISSUES INVOLVING ECONOMIC
JUSTICE. NEW YORK, SOMEHOW, WHEN
WE THINK ABOUT THE CIVIL RIGHTS
MOVEMENT, ESCAPES PEOPLE'S IDEA
OF WHAT THE CIVIL RIGHTS
MOVEMENT WAS ABOUT. WELL, DR.
KING DELIVERS HIS RIVERSIDE
CHURCH SPEECH HERE, WHICH DEALS
WITH THE ISSUE OF POVERTY AND
INJUSTICE. WHAT WE DO AT THE
FOUNDATION IN PROVIDING
SCHOLARSHIPS TO YOUNG PEOPLE WHO
CAN'T AFFORD TO GO TO COLLEGE
IS TO DEAL WITH THOSE SAME
ISSUES, AND WE WANT THE MUSEUM
TO BE A SPACE TO TALK ABOUT A
RANGE OF SOCIAL ISSUES THAT DEAL
WITH CIVIL RIGHTS AND ECONOMIC
JUSTICE, SOCIAL JUSTICE IN
GENERAL.
>> LET ME ASK YOU, YOU WORK AT
FAIRFIELD. PUT IT IN
PERSPECTIVE, HOW MUCH DO YOU
LOVE THE TEACHING PART OF WHAT
YOU DO AND HOW MUCH DOES THAT
DRIVE YOUR CONNECTION TO THE
JACKIE ROBINSON ISSUE?
>> JACKIE WAS FOND OF SAYING A
LIFE IS NOT IMPORTANT EXCEPT IN
THE IMPACT IT HAS ON OTHER
LIVES, AND TEACHING IS ONE OF
THOSE PROFESSIONS, AND I THINK
YOU UNDERSTAND THIS AS A
BROADCASTER, WHERE YOU'RE ABLE
TO TOUCH PEOPLE IN A PARTICULAR
KIND OF WAY AND TO SEE HOW THAT
TRANSFORMS PEOPLE'S LIVES. IT'S
A VERY SPECIAL, ALMOST SACRED
OBLIGATION THAT YOU HAVE IN
THAT...
>> SACRED?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> PLAY THAT OUT A BIT.
>> IN THE SENSE WE LOOK AT OUR
SCHOLARS, AND ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT WE ENCOURAGE IS
VOLUNTEERISM, AND WE GIVE AWARDS
ANNUALLY FOR OUR SCHOLARS. LAST
YEAR OUR SCHOLARS DID ABOUT
81,000 HOURS OF COMMUNITY
SERVICE. ONE YOUNG LADY IN
PARTICULAR NAMED AMBER SPEARS
FROM UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
WORKED WITH AN ORGANIZATION
CALLED OPERATION HOPE, HELPING
OUR PRISONERS ELEVATE, SO WE
CONTINUE TO PROMOTE JACKIE'S
VISION OF TOUCHING
PEOPLE'S LIVES,
AND TEACHING ALLOWS ME TO DO
THAT, WORKING WITH THE
FOUNDATION ALLOWS ME TO DO THAT.
>> PEOPLE GO ONTO THE WEBSITE.
REAL QUICK, DR. WILLIAMS, LET
PEOPLE KNOW IF THEY GO ONTO THE
WEBSITE AND THEY CONTRIBUTE,
IT'S TAX DEDUCTIBLE...
>> IT'S TAX DEDUCTIBLE, AND YOU
WILL BE HELPING US DO TREMENDOUS
WORK IN ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF
THESE STUDENTS OF COLOR, BUT
ALSO HELPING TO GET THAT MUSEUM
UP AND RUNNING TO ASSURE
JACKIE'S LEGACY AND TO TALK
ABOUT THESE ISSUES.
>> GIVEN EVERYTHING THAT JACKIE
ROBINSON HAS GIVEN TO THIS
COUNTRY, AND FORGET ABOUT
BASEBALL, GIVEN TO THIS COUNTRY
AND THE SPIRIT OF THIS COUNTRY
IT'S THE LEAST WE CAN DO FOR HIS
LEGACY AND FOR HIS WIDOW.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> DR. YOHURU WILLIAMS, WHO IS
THE CHIEF HISTORIAN AT THE
JACKIE ROBINSON FOUNDATION, AND
PROFESSOR AND CHAIR OF THE
DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY AT
FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY, I WANT TO
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON "ONE
ON ONE."
>> THANKS, STEVE. IT WAS A
PLEASURE.
>> GOOD STUFF.
>> THANKS AGAIN.
>> STAY WITH US. THIS IS
"ONE ON ONE." WE'LL BE RIGHT
BACK RIGHT AFTER THIS.
>> IF YOU WOULD LIKE MORE
INFORMATION ON THIS PROGRAM OR