Jackie Robinson and his son David attended the March on Washington on August 28, 1963.
Though Robinson is known as a legendary athlete who broke the color barrier in American baseball, he was also a civil rights activist. When he served in the army during World War II, before his professional baseball career, Lieutenant Robinson refused to move to the back of a southern bus when directed to do so by the driver of the bus. After retiring from professional baseball in 1957, Robinson used his influence to champion the cause of civil rights until his death in 1972. In addition to his participation in the March on Washington, he wrote and sent telegrams to multiple U.S. presidents.
This image is included in “Baseball: The National Pastime in the National Archives,” a free eBook from the National Archives.
