Baseball Legend Jackie Robinson Celebrated at Pasadena Unified Schools This Week

Jackie Robinson’s legacy will be celebrated at two Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) campuses this week as a new documentary film about the baseball legend premieres on local television.

Norma Coombs Alternative School, at 2600 Paloma Street in Pasadena, welcomes Sharon Robinson, Jackie’s daughter, on Thursday, April 14, 2016 at 1:30 p.m. She will present and sign copies of “The Hero Two Doors Down,” her book based on the true story of a boy in Brooklyn who became neighbors and friends with his hero, Jackie Robinson.

At 7:00 p.m. the same day, Robinson’s alma mater John Muir High School becomes the site of “Pasadena’s MVP: ‘Jackie Robinson’ Screening and Conversation”, an event co-presented by KPCC and PBS SoCal featuring excerpts from the film and a panel discussion.

“Jackie Robinson,” the new two-part documentary film by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon, tells the story of an American icon whose life-long battle for first class citizenship for all African Americans transcends even his remarkable athletic achievements. The film premieres April 11 and 12 and can be seen locally on PBS SoCal.

To RSVP for this event, go to www.scpr.org/events.

John Muir High School, where Robinson started playing baseball and a number of other sports, recently had its baseball facilities refurbished through a partnership with the Los Angeles Dodgers.