Photo credits: PBS screenshot
Jackie and Rachel Robinson were married in a large church ceremony in Los Angeles, California on February 10, 1945.
They got on a plane two weeks later for a hostile and unexpected destination: the Jim Crow South. They were on their way to Daytona Beach, Florida, the spring training home of Jackie’s new baseball club, the Montreal Royals. When the aircraft made a connection in Pensacola, the airline decided to bump the newlyweds.
Jackie and Rachel were aware that their seats had been taken by white individuals.
They were then forced to board an empty bus bound for Daytona Beach, Florida, a distance of 450 miles. They were compelled to sit in the rear by the driver. Jackie and Rachel both remained silent. Jackie had already sworn an oath. He had to take the high road against racism for two years. Rachel, on the other hand, sobbed.
The cold world of America’s racial intolerance was a blistering reality — even in the midst of a black star couple’s happiest life moment.
No comments