April 7, 2004
MEDIA CONTACT:
Stacie Paxton: (202) 994-6461; paxtonsa@gwu.edu
EVENT CONTACT:
Richard Zamoff: (202)994-6345; zradembums@aol.com
GW TO CELEBRATE JACKIE ROBINSON WEEK
APRIL 12-17
Events Co-Sponsored by The Jackie Robinson Society and GW's
Multicultural Student Services Center and Sociology Department
EVENT:
As part of its ongoing Jackie Robinson Project, The George Washington University
welcomes the GW and D.C. communities to take part in discussions on the life and legacy of
the man who broke baseball's color barrier.
AGENDA:
Monday, April 12, 2004 (Program A)
Marvin Center Amphitheater, 3rd Floor
800 21st Street, NW
7:30 - 9:30 p.m.
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The George Washington University Board of Trustees Member Jean Fugett will offer his reflections on Jackie Robinson's impact on America and the historical and sociological significance of his accomplishments.
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Showing of Kenneth Burns' "The History of Baseball: Inning Six," covering Jackie Robinson's entrance into the major leagues.
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Long Island University History Professor Joseph Dorinson will discuss Robinson's struggles and accomplishments and his role as an informal civil rights leader.
Tuesday, April 13, 2004 (Program B)
GW's Media and Public Affairs Building
805 21st Street, NW (Room B07)
7:30 - 9:30 p.m.
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Showing of the 2004 ESPN program "The Disciples of Jackie Robinson," which traces the plight of African American players who followed Jackie Robinson into major league baseball. ESPN producer Craig Mortali will discuss the program after the showing.
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Bijan Bayne, author of Sky Kings: Black Pioneers of Professional Basketball, will discuss the experience of Black and Afro-Latin players who came to the major leagues in the first decade after Jackie Robinson.
Wednesday, April 14, 2004 (Program C)
Hillel Association
2300 H Street, NW (Second Floor Auditorium)
11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
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Normandale Community College Professor John Chalberg, will perform his highly acclaimed one-man show, "A Visit with Branch Rickey." The show will provide insight into the reasons the Brooklyn Dodgers general manager signed Jackie Robinson to a contract and clarifies his views on a number of baseball and non-baseball topics.
Thursday, April 15, 2004 (Program D)
Hillel Association
2300 H Street, NW (Second Floor Auditorium)
7:30 - 9:30 p.m.
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Christopher Newport University Communications Studies Instructor Pamela Laucella will discuss how the mainstream, African American, Communist and Nazi press covered Olympic track hero Jesse Owens.
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United States Tennis Association Multicultural Participation Committee Chair Camille Riggs Mosley will discuss the history of African American tennis players since the 1880s and their evolution in the 21st century.
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Earlham College Sociology Professor Stephen Butler will summarize the week's programs with his presentation, "Regarding Robinson: Context, Change and Pushing the Envelope."
Saturday, April 17, 2004
Barcroft Park
2100 South Four Mile Run Dr.
Arlington, VA
Noon
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The 3rd annual Jackie Robinson Commemorative Baseball Game. GW vs. The University of Richmond. (Bus transportation will be provided from the Smith Center, located at 600 22nd Street, NW, approximately one hour before game time.)
COST:
All events are free and open to the public.
BACKGROUND:
The Jackie Robinson Society, started in 1999 by GW students, sponsors discussions about Robinson and participates in community service projects that associate his name and life's work with good deeds. GW students were sparked to form the Jackie Robinson Society after taking a course titled "Jackie Robinson: Race, Sports, and the American Dream." The class, which will be offered in the Fall 2004 semester by GW's Department of Sociology, explores the impact of Jackie Robinson's entry into major league baseball -- to the game of baseball and to American society. Content for the course is based on research and discussion stemming from the Jackie Robinson Project, launched in 1996 and underwritten by the Humanities Council of D.C., to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Jackie Robinson's first season with the Brooklyn Dodgers. GW's Multicultural Student Services Center, a campus organization that provides services, educational programming, and social and cultural activities to enhance multicultural ideals, often sponsors events with the Jackie Robinson Society.
For more information about these events or the Jackie Robinson Project, call Richard Zamoff, GW adjunct associate professor of sociology, at (202) 994-6345.
For more news about GW, visit the GW News Center at www.gwnewscenter.org.
-GW-
