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The History Channel has set a premiere date for Jackie Robinson’s documentary After Jackie to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the iconic athlete becoming the first African American baseball player to play in Major League Baseball.
Friday (April 15) marked the 75th anniversary of Jackie Robinson becoming the first African American baseball player to play in Major League Baseball.
Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier at 28 years old with his debut at first base with the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947.
After Jackie is executive produced by NBA star, LeBron James through his production company, Uninterrupted, “in collaboration with the History Channel, Firelight Films, Major League Baseball, and the Jackie Robinson Foundation.”
The two-hour documentary will focus on Black Major League Baseball players who came after Jackie Robinson and premiere on June 18 at 8 p.m. ET.
Executive Vice president and Head of Programming of the History Channel, Eli Lehrer, said, “Everyone knows about the bravery Jackie Robinson exhibited in April 1947, but they probably don’t know about the tenacious men who followed him that continued to demand the game of baseball reflect the diversity of the world in which we live in. History is proud to partner again with LeBron and Stanley and with Major League Baseball to create a powerful documentary that showcases the courage, grit, and relentless determination of the baseball players that rose up after Jackie to alter the course of history for the better.”
According to Variety, After Jackie will feature archived interviews and footage of Black baseball players Bill White, Curt Flood, and Bob Gibson and includes perspectives of many other Major League Baseball players.
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This year, the league celebrated the 75th anniversary by having its 30 teams dawn No. 42 in Dodger Blue.