True: The Four Seasons of Jackie Robinson

National Archives Museum
Online

True: The Four Seasons of Jackie Robinson by Kostya Kennedy is an unconventional biography, focusing on four transformative years in Robinson's athletic and public life: 1946, his first year playing in the essentially all-white minor leagues for the Montreal Royals; 1949, when he won the Most Valuable Player Award in his third season as a Brooklyn Dodger; 1956, his final season in major league baseball, when he played valiantly despite his increasing health struggles; and 1972, the year of his untimely death. Through it all, Robinson remained true to the effort and the mission, true to his convictions and contradictions. Joining Kennedy in conversation will be Dr. Raymond Doswell, Vice President, Curatorial Services for the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.

This program is presented in conjunction with the display of a letter Robinson wrote after an incident on a bus while he was a second lieutenant at Fort Hood, Texas. The letter will be on display in the East Rotunda of the National Archives in Washington, DC, and online through April 20.