(AUDACY) MLB will celebrate Jackie Robinson Day on Thursday — and Friday for the teams that are off Thursday — but some players are doing more than just wearing his No. 42 to honor his legacy.
More than 100 players of all races and backgrounds will donate their gameday salaries to support The Players Alliance, a nonprofit founded by current and former MLB players aimed to invest in Black communities. Players donating salaries include Dodgers pitcher David Price, Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward and Brewers outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr.
The Players Alliance is also launching the Breaking Barriers campaign to honor Robinson’s legacy, which consists of a financial commitment to the Jackie Robinson Foundation to support a scholarship fund to provide aid for students as early as the fall semester of 2021.
“On April 15, we honor Jackie Robinson as the first player to break the color barrier, a reminder there is still much work to be done in our game,” said former MLB outfielder Curtis Granderson, The Players Alliance president. “As The Players Alliance seeks to bridge the gap of racial inequity in baseball, we’re encouraging players, on this date especially, to consider supporting the Alliance and our efforts to continue Jackie’s legacy of breaking barriers.”
In 2020, The Players Alliance raised more than $1 million on Jackie Robinson Day, which helped fund initiatives that provide resources to Black communities in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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