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On April 15, 1947, a young Jackie Robinson started at first base with the Brooklyn Dodgers, marking the first time a Black man was allowed to play in the modern Major Leagues. Robinson’s incredible accomplishments on the field are even more remarkable when combined with the enormous obstacles he was faced with while achieving them – fighting against segregation, racial discrimination and standing up for the rights of African Americans everywhere. However, when the Hall of Famer retired to continue his efforts off the field, there was still much work to be done in baseball and players including Bill White, Curt Flood, and future Hall of Famer Bob Gibson picked up where Jackie left off. The relentless efforts and sacrifices of these brave men would eventually advance the status of Black players on and off the field, send the league toward greater roster integration, and force the sport of baseball, and the country, to change for the better.

Andre Gaines is an award-wining Los Angeles-based producer, writer and director. Through his company Cinemation Studios, Gaines has produced or financed an extensive number of documentary and narrative films including, Spike Lee’s Da Sweet Blood of Jesus, the acclaimed Netflix documentary Bill Nye: Science Guy, the remake of Stephen King’s Children of the Corn, the award-winning animated feature The Immortal Warrior starring Rodrigo Santoro for Amazon, and Buzzed starring Jeremy Renner and Keira Knightley.