Black History

Jackie Robinson’s 100th Birthday to be Celebrated with Film Screening at South Pasadena Public Library on January 31

PASADENA JOURNAL — Jackie Robinson was born in Cairo, Georgia on January 31, 1919 and his family moved to Pasadena in 1920.

Published

7 years ago

February 2, 2019

Oakland Post

By Journal Staff

In honor of the 100th Birthday of Jackie Robinson (1919-1972), a free screening of “The Jackie Robinson Story,” a classic 1950 ﬁlm starring Jackie as himself will be presented at the South Pasadena Public Library . The free event for all ages will be celebrated in the Library Community Room on Thursday, January 31 at 7 pm on the eve of Black History Month. It is sponsored by the South Pasadena Public Library, the Friends of the South Pasadena Public Library, and the Lucille and Edward R. Roybal Foundation.

Jackie Robinson was born in Cairo, Georgia on January 31, 1919 and his family moved to Pasadena in 1920. As an outstanding four-sport star, Jackie attended Muir Technical High School and Pasadena Junior College. After his graduation, Robinson transferred to UCLA, becoming the school’s ﬁrst student athlete to earn varsity letters in all four major sports.

In 1942, Robinson joined the Army in Fort Hood, Texas. Despite the racism he encountered, Robinson eventually triumphed over an unjust court martial hearing and was given an honorable discharge. He then spent a year as the Athletic Director at Sam Houston College before receiving offers to play professional baseball in the Negro Leagues. After earning All Star accolades, Brooklyn Dodgers President Branch Rickey broached the idea to him to play on the Dodgers minor leaguer team in Montreal where he earned the league’s Most Valuable Player honors.

Upon his call-up to the big club with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball . With his tremendous courage, outstanding play, and dedicated work for social change, he changed the consciousness of an entire nation. During his ten seasons, he was the ﬁ rst African-American to win a batting title. He was also the ﬁrst black to be named a league MVP and he led the Dodgers to 6 pennants and a World Series title. Jackie Robinson was also the ﬁrst Black player elected to the Hall of Fame and his number 42 is the only one permanently retired in all of Major League Baseball.

Jackie Robinson worked tirelessly as a leader in the Civil Rights Movement and none other than Martin Luther King, Jr. called him a legend and a symbol in his own time. Rivaling only Babe Ruth as the most historically signiﬁcant baseball player ever, Jackie Robinson is considered by many to be the most important figure in American sports history.

“The Jackie Robinson Story” was initially released to theatres in 1953 during the era of racial segregation but was nonetheless accorded critical praise and strong box ofﬁce receipts. It featured an outstanding performance by Ruby Dee as Jackie’s wife, Rachel Robinson. Although not a professional actor, Jackie Robinson’s potentially difﬁcult portrayal of himself also earned high praises for its confident assuredness and restraint. And as might be expected, the re-enacted baseball scenes are outstanding –and in many ways they are superior to those in “42”, the 2013 Jackie Robinson motion picture starring Chadwick Bozeman.

Introductions to the ﬁlm will be made by Mark Langill, Official Historian of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Alex Boekelheide, Executive Director of Strategic Communications and Marketing, Pasadena City College.

The South Pasadena Public Library Community Room is located at 1115 El Centro Street. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. no tickets or reservations are necessary, and refreshments will be served. Special surprises are planned as well. Thanks to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Pasadena City College, 210 eastsound, Videotheque, The Rose, and Movie Licensing USA. For more information, please call the South Pasadena Public Library at 626 403-7350.

Free parking is available after noon at the Mission Meridian Parking Garage located at 805 Meridian Avenue adjacent to the Metro Gold Line Station, only one block from the Library.

Upon request made no later than four (4) business days before the event, the City will provide a reasonable accommodation for a qualiﬁed person with a disability to have equal access to the event. Please contact ADA Coordinator and Human Resources Manager, Mariam Lee Ko, at (626) 403-7312 or fill out the City’s request form available at www.southpasadenaca.gov and email the form to Human Resources at HR@southpasadenaca.gov.

This article originally appeared in the Pasadena Journal.

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On the Frontlines of Hate: NAACP Links Victims to Critical Support

The NAACP CA/HI has a long and well-established record of supporting victims of discrimination and hate crimes — providing critical referrals and, when necessary, direct assistance through legal advocacy and other forms of support. Beyond responding to incidents, the organization continues to advocate on broader civil rights issues, including voting rights and legal protections. It has also worked to counter efforts at the state and federal levels that could weaken the voting power of communities of color.

Published

2 weeks ago

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Oakland Post

NAACP members at a recent advocacy day in Sacramento urging lawmakers to protect voting rights. Photo courtesy of California Black Media.

By Joe Kocurek
California Black Media

The California/Hawaii State Conference of the NAACP (CA/HI NAACP) has expanded its efforts to respond to rising hate incidents and civil rights complaints across California, supported in part by funding from California’s Stop the Hate Program

Through that grant, NAACP CA/HI has strengthened its ability to connect individuals experiencing hate or discrimination with critical resources. This includes referring those who file complaints to the CA vs Hate hotline, a statewide, non-emergency hate crime and incident reporting hotline and online portal created to help counter a more than 50% increase in reported hate crimes in California between 2020 and 2024. The system helps ensure incidents are documented, and victims are guided toward appropriate support.

LaJuana Bivens says the work of NAACP is as urgent as ever. Photo by Regina Wilson, California Black Media.

LaJuana Bivens, who has served in a number of roles within the NAACP, said California has seen an increase in civil rights violations and hate-related incidents.

“We have 52 branches, and they are constantly receiving complaints,” she said. “So, without the Stop the Hate, we would not be able to refer those cases up to attorneys at the state level. A lot of the people would not have had an opportunity to be heard.”

Carmen-Nicole Cox helps survivors of hate with their legal options. Photo courtesy of Carmen-Nicole Cox.

Carmen-Nicole Cox, an attorney who works with NAACP CA/HI – as a part of California’s Stop the Hate Program – provides legal consultation to victims of hate incidents and discrimination through her legal practice, the Cox Firm for Law and Policy.

She said the complaints she receives span a wide range of issues.

“People are having home builders and landlords refusing to provide repairs, a student was denied promotion in an academic program, and targeted scrutiny at work,” she said. “It’s typically employment; it’s housing; it’s education.

“We’ll meet and they’ll share their experiences,” she said. “And then I make assessments about possible legal claims.”

According to the California Civil Rights Department (CRD), nearly 1,200 reports of hate against minority groups were submitted in 2024 through the CA vs Hate hotline and online portal for non-emergency incidents.

While the California/Hawaii State Conference of the NAACP, which has tens of thousands of members, does not directly investigate hate incidents or crimes, it plays a key role in connecting victims to the state’s reporting systems and support services.

Beyond responding to incidents, the organization continues to advocate on broader civil rights issues, including voting rights and legal protections. It has also worked to counter efforts at the state and federal levels that could weaken the voting power of communities of color.

Bivens recently traveled to Sacramento to speak with state lawmakers about voting rights during an advocacy day event hosted by the organization.

“It’s just so hard for communities of color to be up to date because of all of the confusing information coming from the federal level,” she said. “I love our great state of California because here it is possible to vote by mail and to vote early.

“And I’m seeing that trying to be eroded. So, I’m here to urge continued support for vote by mail and early voting.”

When Texas moved to redraw congressional districts in ways critics said would dilute minority voting strength, NAACP CA/HI supported the passage of Proposition 50 in California. The organization also intervened in United States v. Shirley Weber, where federal officials sought access to unredacted California voter records, including Social Security numbers, raising concerns about misuse and voter intimidation.

Cultivating the advocacy and leaderships of young people is central to NAACP’s mission to fight racism and dismantle inequality. Photo courtesy of California Black Media.

A federal district court dismissed that case in January 2026.

The organization’s current work builds on a long history of civil rights advocacy. Today, Bivens says, the organization’s mission remains as urgent as ever.

“We are the oldest, boldest, most feared Civil Rights organization,” Bivens said. “What we do every day is fight for better housing, education, economic development and political inclusion. We take it on because there are just so many people who need that support.

“You would be amazed that our phones ring every single day.”

Get Support After Hate:

California vs Hate is a non-emergency, multilingual hotline and online portal offering confidential support for hate crimes and incidents. Victims and witnesses can get help anonymously by calling 833-8-NO-HATE (833-866-4283), Monday to Friday, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. PT, or online at any time. Anonymous. Confidential. No Police. No ICE.

This story was produced in partnership with CA vs Hate. Join them for the first-ever CA Civil Rights Summit on May 11. More information at www.cavshate.org/summit.

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