42 for You to Enjoy & Forever Remembered

42 for those who have been living under a rock for the past 1/2 C is the # Jackie Robinson wore as a Brooklyn Dodger.  He was a man of many firsts.  He was the 1st player to break the color barrier in baseball (if this is news, stay under that rock.)  Robinson was the 1st, as was Rosa Parks, to take a stand/seat and against racial hatred with grace, courage & dignity.  Robinson served in the US Army in WWII with the 1st Black Tank Battalion to enter combat.  He was court marshall for refusing to move to the back of the bus.  (I learned a great deal about this remarkable man of talent & character.)   Robinson along with other black soldiers returned from fighting facism in Europe only to face racism and hatred at home.  When Branch Ricky, Pres. of the Brooklyn Dodgers signed Robinson to the league, he was warned that despite no laws barring integration, there was a code, an unwritten law that will make Robinson & his team outcasts.  The ugly abuse & racism of the time is battered back with tolerance and camaraderie.  Chadwick Boseman portrays Robinson with pitch perfection.  The story of the man behind the legend is sure to steal your heart.  Robinson a hero on & off the field was awarded the Pres. Medal of Freedom.  Our nation is a country of many firsts.  We have our 1st Black President. It is important to be reminded of our past so as not to be complacent to prejudice & hatred.  #42, the number Robinson wore on his back is the only # in MLB to be permanently retired across all major league teams.  MLB, since '04, has Jackie Robinson Day, where all players wear #42 on their backs.  42 is an inspirational  movie of working together in harmony.  It reminds us of how far we've come on the backs of others and what we say & do matters.