In 1997, Major League Baseball retired the #42 worn by Jackie Robinson with the exception that anyone who currently wore the number could continue to do so until the end of their career. When Robinson debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, he was the first African American to play in the Major Leagues in the 20th century.
Now the University of California, Los Angeles is following suit. It is retiring the #42 for all men’s and women’s sports teams. The three student athletes who currently wear the number are permitted to continue doing so until they exhaust their eligibility.
Robinson starred in four sports at UCLA: football, basketball, track, and baseball. He won the NCAA championship in the broad jump and led the Pacific Coast Conference in scoring twice in basketball. In football, he was an honorable mention for All-American honors.
UCLA also has renamed its sports and recreation complex to honor Jackie Robinson. Twenty-two facilities will now be under the umbrella of the Jackie Robinson Athletics and Recreation Complex on the UCLA campus.
UCLA athletics director stated: “Jackie Robinson was one of the great athletes of the 20th century. Yet for all of Jackie’s athletic achievements, it is his humanity that sets him apart from the others. As UCLA athletic director, I expect our student-athletes to represent the university with class, character and dignity under any and all circumstances – in short, I expect them to meet the standard set forth by Jackie Robinson.”
If UCLA really wanted to honor Jackie Robinson they would immediately start treating their Black students as first class students compared to what currently exist on that campus.
Michael I agree with you and I am just curious as to why the editor did not include UCLA’s Black graduation rate. I was under the impression that UCLA was indeed one of the so-called Flagship state schools.
The Black graduation rate at the flagship University of California, Berkeley is 76 percent. At UCLA, the Black student graduation rate is 80 percent.
Thanks Editor for the information on UCLA’s graduation rate for Black students because it was not listed in your article on Flagship State School Graduation rates in your previous article in this edition of said Journal.
This is really nice, but what took so long? Did it take a motion picture to move them?