Jackie Robinson Ballpark National Commemorative Site Act

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill. It would designate the Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach, Florida, as a National Commemorative Site to honor the legendary baseball player, Jackie Robinson.

I did not know this, but this park is the oldest active ballpark in minor league baseball. It opened in 1914. The historic significance, of course, is that heading into spring training in 1946, every other minor league park locked their stadiums and canceled games rather than allow Jackie Robinson to play as part of the Montreal Royals in that minor league season. So only Daytona Beach set side segregation laws to permit Robinson to play at the ballpark that now bears his name. A year later, he was called up to the Brooklyn Dodgers, and the rest is history.

The park was renamed the Jackie Robinson Memorial Ballpark in 1990 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. By designating it as a National Commemorative Site, we would continue to honor and bolster Robinson's legacy, which is a good thing.

I appreciate this bill. I appreciate that it is sponsored by the entire Florida delegation, displaying not only the truly bipartisan nature of this effort, but also a universal understanding of the importance of memorializing Jackie Robinson for the contributions he made to the civil rights movement.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. HUFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, this is a good bill. I urge my colleagues to support it, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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