Dodgers left-hander David Price, Cubs outfield Jason Heyward and Brewers outfield Jackie Bradley Jr. are among more than 100 major league players of all races and backgrounds who have pledged to donate their salaries. Jackie Robinson Day to Support the Players’ Alliance, the organization announced Wednesday.
Players Alliance, a non-profit organization founded by a group of active and former MLB players, with the goal of improving black American baseball representations, will honor Robinson’s life and legacy by launching the Breaking Barriers campaign.
As part of the campaign, The Players Alliance will make a financial commitment to the Jackie Robinson Foundation, supporting the launch of a scholarship fund aimed at helping students immediately after the fall semester of 2021.
“On April 15, we honor Jackie Robinson as the first player to break the color barrier, reminding us that there is still a lot of work to be done in our game,” former MLB player and Players Alliance president Curtis Granderson said in a statement. “As the Players’ Alliance seeks to end the difference in racial inequity in baseball, we encourage players, especially at this time, to consider supporting the Alliance and our efforts to continue Jackie’s legacy of breaking down barriers.”
The Players Alliance raised more than $ 1 million on Jackie Robinson Day 2020 and invested directly in black communities. Initiatives included the Players Pull Up tour, which provided pantry supplies and other resources for more than 20,000 families in need amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The alliance has also partnered with MLB to provide $ 1 million worth of baseball equipment to children across the country.
Thursday will mark 74 years since Robinson broke the color barrier of baseball when he made his Major League debut for the Dodgers.