ESPN’s Multi-Part Video Series Honoring Jackie Robinson’s Legacy is now a one-hour special airing tonight as ESPN commemorates the 75th anniversary of the sports legend breaking the MLB color barrier.
What’s Happening:
- As part of ESPN’s season-long Jackie 75 project as ESPN commemorates the 75th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the MLB color barrier, a one-hour SC Featured special “Jackie and Me” will debut tonight at 7 ET on ESPN. The program includes prominent athletes and public figures sharing reflections on Jackie Robinson’s life and legacy. Below is a Front Row piece from March with background on the production of elements of the program.
- To commemorate the 75th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the MLB color barrier, ESPN is debuting Jackie 75 honoring Robinson’s lasting legacy.
- In part, the season-long project will include a 10+-part short story video series, Jackie to Me, featuring newly conducted interviews with prominent athletes and public figures. The videos will debut across SportsCenter, Get Up and First Take beginning Monday, April 4.
What They’re Saying:
- Antoine Lewis, Vice President, Production: “Every day, we strive to create programs and projects that make a difference, usually informing and entertaining the viewer. But this project was an opportunity also to educate and impact. We wanted to honor Jackie Robinson and frame how breaking the color barrier historically also gave way to an enduring expansion of the cultural barrier in our current society. Our goal is to share Jackie’s legacy across generations – one I summarize with three words: Man, Moment, Movement.”
- Jeff Ausiello, senior managing producer: First and foremost, we wanted to educate viewers on not only who Jackie Robinson was as a man, a father, a baseball player, and an activist who selflessly gave of himself to fight for others but also to illustrate the lasting effect his actions have had and continue to have 75 years after he broke the color barrier.