Jackie Robinson & Decades of Firsts

To celebrate Black History Month, we interviewed Kevin Childs and discussed the legacy of Jackie Robinson.

In 1947, Jackie Robinson broke the color line when he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers. Branch Rickey, club president and general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, was actively scouting the Negro Leagues, but knew drafting a black player would be met with a racist backlash. He looked for men who were more than excellent baseball players; he needed someone who could withstand the verbal assaults without taking the bait and reacting angrily. When Robinson heard this, he said, "Are you looking for a Negro who is afraid to fight back?" Rickey replied that he needed a Negro player "with guts enough not to fight back."

Robinson quickly learned that the backlash would not only be from the crowd, but also the dugout. Several teammates refused to play and an insurrection grew. In an act of allyship, Dodger management present a united front and ended the small uprising.

Black men and women continue to enter a industries dominated by white people. They continue to face racism and unconscious bias. On this episode, Kevin Childs, a leader in the IT industry, talks about how he was inspired by Jackie Robinson and how he helps young black men and women navigate their careers.