“Most of us are well versed in the incredibly rich history of Montreal sports,” says Slayd. “We are often reminded of the many memorable moments and the legendary figures that made them happen, from Maurice Richard to Gary Carter to Nadia Comăneci. However there is one athletic icon who towers above them all; not necessarily because of what he accomplished on the field of play but more for what he achieved by being there in the first place.”

In the spring of 1947, African-American Jackie Robinson broke Major League Baseball’s colour barrier when he took the field for the first time for the Brooklyn Dodgers. His courage and strength in the face of horrifying racial prejudice ignited a change that not only spread through the world of professional sports, but throughout the entire United States as the Civil Rights movement of the fifties loomed over the horizon. Dr. Martin Luther King often cited Jackie and his courageous efforts as being a trailblazer for the movement that helped end the evils of Jim Crow and change the course of American history forever.

Most people know the basics of the story but the part that many are not aware of is Jackie’s chapter here in Montreal. At the time, the Montreal Royals were the minor league affiliate of the Dodgers. This was a reality that turned out to be ideal for owner Branch Rickey. He knew that Jackie’s path to the major leagues would be easier going through a more liberal minded and segregation free city like Montreal. He was right. The city embraced him as their own, a fact highlighted by a writer at the time who famously wrote ,“It was the first time a white mob chased a black man with love on their mind, instead of lynching.”

Slayd not only appeared in the PBS video. Last summer he was invited to perform the song at the Negro League Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in Kansas City, Missouri.  

“In a time when race is as contentious an issue as it has been in a long time, with stories of an intensifying conflict flooding our social media, I believe this story has important historical and social value,” Slayd says. “ In addition, it has a special hometown connection. One that I would aspire to make students both aware and hopefully proud of.”