Silence Around Jackie Robinson's Legacy Speaks Volumes

Just days after celebrating their World Series title at the White House, the Dodgers and MLB remain publicly silent on a glaring omission — the Trump administration’s temporary removal of Jackie Robinson’s military legacy from the Department of Defense’s website.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, the team’s first Black skipper, acknowledged the responsibility of honoring Robinson. But beyond brief, generic remarks, neither the Dodgers nor the league has spoken out. That silence has not gone unnoticed.

Robinson, a World War II veteran and member of the Army’s segregated 761st tank battalion, was court-martialed for refusing to move to the back of a bus — a powerful precursor to his MLB debut and America’s civil rights reckoning. Yet, MLB has said nothing about this historical erasure.

Meanwhile, executive orders from the Trump administration have aggressively targeted DEI initiatives, and Robinson’s name was briefly tied to their dismantling. The Department of Defense later backtracked — but the damage was done.

MLB, a league built on Robinson’s legacy and boasting record revenue, now finds itself unwilling to confront the erasure of the very man who made its modern diversity possible. Critics say this isn't oversight — it’s a betrayal.

“There’s a difference between symbolism and substance,” said Dr. Christina Myers, a journalism professor. “Invoking his name without protecting his legacy is dangerous revisionism.”

With billion-dollar profits and a player base more diverse than ever, MLB’s continued silence underscores a deeper problem: celebrating Black icons without defending the full truth of their stories.

Robinson once said, “Money is America’s God.” Today, that sentiment rings louder than ever.