Pasadena historian continues quest to memorialize Jackie Robinson's childhood home
A Pasadena historian is continuing his years-long battle with the city to better memorialize the home of baseball icon and civil rights legend Jackie Robinson, despite his efforts being mired in red tape thus far.
The current homage, a flat plaque acting as a marker outside of what used to be 121 Pepper Street, pales in comparison to the legacy left behind by the family that once lived on the property.
"If you didn't know it was there, you wouldn't have known it," said Okeyo Jumal the author and historian who continues to fight for a more fitting monument. "That's an insult that they leave that plaque in there like that."
Jumal's parents grew up with the Robinson family, whom not only included Jackie Robinson, the man who broke Major League Baseball's color barrier in 1947, but his brother Mack, who won a silver medal in the 1936 Summer Olympics, finishing only behind the legendary Jesse Owens.
"This is their home, this guy who is known around the world, was living right here, where you guys are living around Pepper Street," Jumal said.
It was there that the duo learned to excel across all realms of athleticism, earning a spot among the best in their respective sports, which somehow pales in comparison to the impact that they've made on the world on a much grander scale.
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Both went on to use their platforms to fight for equality in a tumultuous time in America, most notably Jackie, who suffered substantial racism on his quest to make life better for Black people.
The current monument simply states, "Jackie and Mack Robinson Resided on this site with their family from 1922 to 1946," an unimaginative tribute to the giants that once lived there.
He's been trying to get the city to replace the plaque with a more visible and befitting tribute to the Robinson family since 2020, hopeful that it can contain more details about the global impact they continue to have.
In the time since he started his push, he says that he's been sent from committee to committee without any definitive answers.
"I just think they're bumbling and stumbling around down there," Jumal said.
A Pasadena city spokesperson said that part of the reason the process has taken so long is that they're conducting community outreach to make sure that all stakeholders are a part of the affair.
Jumal says it shouldn't have taken this long, especially after the Robinson family and the people who currently live at the home near the plaque gave their approval to him years ago.
"When you put it in the sidewalk where nobody could see it, nobody knew it was there. That wasn't an honor to Jackie," he said. "That was an insult. Not just to the Robinson family, but the entire community. That's the best you can do?"
He said that a new plaque proposal, which includes help from more people backing his idea, is set to go to Pasadena City Council on August 19.
Jackie Robinson remains the only player to have his number retired across all of Major League Baseball. He played his entire career with the Dodgers, while they resided in Brooklyn, New York.
It's now been 77 years since he made his debut, and still his name reverberates around the world of sports. Each year on April 15 MLB celebrates Jackie Robinson Day, honoring the anniversary of his first game as every player across baseball dons No. 42 for one day.