Jackie Robinson's Bed-Stuy Block Named In His Honor

BEDFORD-STUYVESANT, BROOKLYN — In honor of Jackie Robinson Day, a Bed-Stuy block was renamed Jackie Robinson Way.

Macdonough Street between Ralph and Patchen avenues got a new sign on Saturday that honors the Brooklyn Dodgers legend who broke baseball’s color barrier 71 years ago, officials said.

Elected officials and residents thronged to the block where Robinson once lived to honor his name and legacy with a street sign.

“It will inspire young kids to learn about his life,” Public Advocate Tish James wrote in a Tweet, “To persevere and call out injustices like he did, to never take no for an answer, and to always keep moving forward.”

Robinson, the first African American to play in Major League Baseball, broke the color barrier when joined the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947.

Robinson played in six World Series in the 1950s, was named Rookie of the Year in 1947 and inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.

His memory was also honored at a Mets pre-game ceremony, where players presented his wife and two children with a commemorative print, and across the nation by Major League players who all sported Robinson's number '42.'

Header photos courtesy of the Brooklyn District Attorney's office/Twitter and the NYPD's 81st Precinct/Twitter