In 2001, a plaque was erected outside the birthplace of Jackie Robinson in Cairo, Georgia. In 2021, the marker was defaced as it was multiple gun shot holes were discovered in the plaque. The birthplace marker was rededicated over the weekend, but the damaged one is headed to the Negro Leagues Museum in Kansas City.
From the Associated Press:
The vandalized marker is slated to go on display around mid-April, after a display case is built and spot secured in the museum, to coincide with the museum's celebration of the 75th anniversary of Robinson's debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers. The plaque is expected to be permanently loaned to the Kansas City museum for regular display.
The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum said the vandalized marker will "serve as a reminder that the ugliness of America's past persists to this day."
Robinson was born 103 years ago Monday (Jan. 31, 1919) in Cairo. In 1947, he broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball, becoming the first Black player after decades of segregation. In the face of hatred, he excelled, winning Rookie of the Year, later MVP and making seven All-Star Games. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.
Robinson's No. 42 is retired across all of baseball.
