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This article examines some of the public art that has been created to memorialize Jackie Robinson and his integration of major league baseball in 1947. Much of the art focuses on Robinson the player and attempts to connect his actions to the communities that surround the installment sites. The Robinson twin statues in Pasadena, California, for instance, place Robinson and his brother Mack squarely in the community where they grew up.
THE GREATNESS OF CULTURAL HEROES is often demonstrated by their career accomplishments and by the number and significance of the public memorials that honor them. Such memorials are intended not only to celebrate their achievements but also, by invoking and preserving their name and image, to perpetuate their heroic ethos and symbolism. "Heroes are the material of political myths," write Gerald Gems and Gertrude Pfister, "and they are embodied in 'places of remembrance' which celebrate the past, but are relevant in the present circumstances."1
When looking at baseball figures that transcend the game and connect with America's larger history one figure that stands out is Jackie Robinson. Robinson's integration of major league baseball in 1947 changed not only the face of baseball but also of America, as the integration of baseball helped usher in the Civil Rights movement and the changes associated with that struggle. As a result of Robinson's central role in integrating America's national pastime it is not surprising that so many have chosen him as a figure to honor with public art and memorials. Each of these tributes attempts to capture some of the heroics and meaning of Robinson's baseball career and life.
Major League Baseball has honored Jackie Robinson in a handful of ways. First the number "42," worn by Robinson during his ten-year career with the Brooklyn Dodgers, was retired; except in tribute, no one in either league will ever wear it again. The Rookie of the Year trophy was re-named in his honor, Robinson having been the first recipient of it. And then there's April 15, the date of Robinson's debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Since 2004 it has been "Jackie Robinson Day" in the big leagues, and all teams hold ceremonies in recognition of it.
The most recent MLB nod to Robinson can be...