Skip to content
Advertisement

Jackie Robinson resolution approved by state legislature

Advertisement
Jackie Robinson (31854)
Jackie Robinson

The California Legislature on Monday approved a resolution calling on local governments in Southern California to rename the former State Route 42 after baseball and civil rights icon Jackie Robinson.

HR 24, authored by Assemblyman Steven Bradford (D-Gardena), urges the cities of Los Angeles, Inglewood, Downey, South Gate, and Norwalk, and the County of Los Angeles to work together to rename Manchester Avenue and Firestone Boulevard, formerly State Route 42, after Robinson.

“Jackie Robinson is a Southern California native,” Bradford said. “His achievements on the athletic field, on the battlefield as a World War II veteran, and in the civil rights arena make us proud to call him a native son.”

Robinson was an accomplished four-sport athlete at John Muir High School in Pasadena and at UCLA. He broke down racial barriers in the military during World War II and became the first African American player in Major League Baseball, when he took the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

“Mr. Robinson was an American hero in many ways,” Bradford continued. “It would be a great tribute to his legacy to rename Route 42 in his honor.”

The former State Route 42 runs from State Route 1 (Pacific Coast Highway) on the west, to Interstate 5 on the east. The route was turned over to local control in 2000.

Robinson’s widow, Rachel Robinson, received a standing ovation when she was introduced on the Assembly floor to witness the vote, which saw 71 members sign on as co-authors. She expressed her gratitude personally to Bradford.

Advertisement

Latest