| 1 | 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION No. 6019 |
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| 2 | 2 | | A RESOLUTION recognizing April 15, 2025, as Jackie Robinson Day. |
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| 3 | 3 | | WHEREAS, On April 15, 1947, Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson became the first African |
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| 4 | 4 | | American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) when he started at first base for the |
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| 5 | 5 | | Brooklyn Dodgers; and |
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| 6 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Jackie Robinson was known as an incredible four-sport athlete, playing |
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| 7 | 7 | | football, basketball, track and baseball at the University of California, Los Angeles, and for his |
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| 8 | 8 | | influence and contributions to the Civil Rights movement; and |
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| 9 | 9 | | WHEREAS, After his college career, Jackie Robinson was drafted into the Army and |
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| 10 | 10 | | attended Candidate School in Kansas at Fort Riley where he was commissioned as a second |
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| 11 | 11 | | lieutenant with the 1 |
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| 12 | 12 | | st |
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| 13 | 13 | | Infantry Division ("Big Red 1"). In 1944, he was honorably discharged |
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| 14 | 14 | | from the Army after refusing to move to the back of a segregated Army bus; and |
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| 15 | 15 | | WHEREAS, In 1944, he became the shortstop for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro |
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| 16 | 16 | | American League but was recruited by the Brooklyn Dodgers the following year as the first |
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| 17 | 17 | | African American to play with its farm team, the Montreal Royals; and |
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| 18 | 18 | | WHEREAS, During his nine-year career as a Dodger, Jackie Robinson received the Rookie |
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| 19 | 19 | | of the Year Award in 1947, the Most Valuable Player Award in 1949, helped the team win their |
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| 20 | 20 | | first World Series Championship in 1955 and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in |
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| 21 | 21 | | 1962; and |
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| 22 | 22 | | WHEREAS, Beyond the diamond, Jackie Robinson used his celebrity status to expand |
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| 23 | 23 | | human rights, including improving working conditions as the Vice President for Personnel at |
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| 24 | 24 | | Chock Full O'Nuts, speaking at the 1963 March on Washington civil rights rally and being a |
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| 25 | 25 | | co-founder of a Black-owned and operated bank and construction company to financially aid |
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| 26 | 26 | | the Black community and provide housing for low-income people; and |
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| 27 | 27 | | WHEREAS, In 1997, MLB formally retired his uniform number, 42, across all Major |
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| 28 | 28 | | League teams, which was the first time any professional athlete in any sport received such an |
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| 29 | 29 | | honor. Today, MLB has adopted the annual tradition of "Jackie Robinson Day" on April 15 |
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| 30 | 30 | | where every player wears the number 42 to honor Jackie Robinson's achievements on and off |
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| 31 | 31 | | the field: Now, therefore, |
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| 32 | 32 | | Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of Kansas: That we recognize |
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| 33 | 33 | | April 15, 2025, as Jackie Robinson Day; and |
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| 34 | 34 | | Be it further resolved: That we honor Jackie Robinson for his accomplishments in baseball, |
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| 35 | 35 | | the United States Army and in furthering civil rights across the country. |
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| 36 | 36 | | House Resolution No. 6019 was sponsored by Representatives Daniel Hawkins and Patrick |
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| 37 | 37 | | Penn. |
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| 38 | 38 | | |
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| 39 | 39 | | I hereby certify that the above RESOLUTION originated in the HOUSE, and was adopted by that |
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| 40 | 40 | | body |
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| 41 | 41 | | |
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| 42 | 42 | | |
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| 43 | 43 | | Speaker of the House. |
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| 44 | 44 | | |
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| 45 | 45 | | Chief Clerk of the House. |
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