Jackie Robinson and Black Military Service, World War II to Today

JACKIE ROBINSON MUSEUM SPEAKER SERIES

Drafted into the segregated US Army during World War II, 2nd Lieutenant Jack Roosevelt Robinson—then a nationally-recognized UCLA football star—took aim at racial discrimination in Army policies, programs, and facilities. Join our distinguished panelists to explore the significance of this chapter of Robinson’s patriotism and activism in the context of Black military service during World War II and the contemporary experience of Black servicemembers and veterans. Today, African Americans in the military continue to face racial discrimination, including statistically higher rates of court-martials, demonstrating that the need for advocacy for justice is as relevant as ever.

FEATURED SPEAKERS:

Richard Brookshire, Co-CEO and Co-Founder, Black Veterans Project

Viviana DeCohen, Commissioner, New York State Department of Veterans’ Services

Jeffrey T. Sammons, Professor Emeritus, Department of History, New York University