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Jackie Robinson Knew Power of the Pen

A portrait of the Brooklyn Dodgers' infielder Jackie Robinson in uniform, circa 1945.
Hulton Archive/Getty Images
A portrait of the Brooklyn Dodgers' infielder Jackie Robinson in uniform, circa 1945.

When he retired from baseball, legendary slugger Jackie Robinson devoted himself to the struggle for civil rights.

He wrote letters to some of the most important political figures of the era, urging social change.

Michael G. Long is the editor of a new book titled First Class Citizenship: The Civil Rights Letters of Jackie Robinson.

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