Oh Happy Day

Yesterday was Jackie Robinson Day in Major League Baseball. It was a great day of celebration. Individual players and even entire teams wore number 42 in tribute to Jackie Robinson. But the person who stole the show, in my opinion, was Rachel Robinson, Jackie's wife.

Rachel Robinson, the founder of The Jackie Robinson Foundation, was given the Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award yesterday during the Sunday's ceremony at Dodger Stadium. The award was presented by Commissioner Bud Selig and honors Rachel Robinson for her "contribution and sacrifice to the legacy of her husband," who passed away in 1972.

Rachel Robinson is the first woman to receive the Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award. She founded the Jackie Robinson Foundation in 1973 as a public, not-for-profit organization to serve as an advocate for young people with the greatest need. Under Mrs. Robinson's leadership, JRF has awarded scholarships to 1,200 students from 43 states and the District of Columbia, totaling over $14.5 million.

During the television broadcast of the Dodgers and Padres game last evening, Rachel Robinson joined announcers Jon Miller and Joe Morgan in the booth. She was witty, intelligent, charming, and gracious. Rachel Robinson is one incredible lady! The pre-game show featured a black gospel choir singing Oh Happy Day, Jackie and Rachel Robinson's favorite song.

Oh happy day (oh happy day)
Oh happy day (oh happy day)
When Jesus washed (when Jesus washed)
When Jesus washed (when Jesus washed)
Jesus washed (when Jesus washed)
Washed my sins away (oh happy day)
Oh happy day (oh happy day)

It has been said that Jackie Robinson could not have achieved what he did without Rachel at his side. During his ten year playing career, Rachel attended every Dodger home game. She wanted to make sure that when Jack (as she calls him) looked up into the stands, that he would see at least one person who was cheering for him!

Growing up, Rachel was a determined young woman who knew what she wanted. Listen to what she said attracted her to Jack as transcribed in this 2005 interview.

And then he was – another trait that he – I saw a lot of and – is my favorite and most important one, is a humility about him that I liked. I cannot tolerate arrogance and self importance and all those kinds of things and he had none of that and he just came in and blended in with the students and kind of accepted their greetings of him in a positive way and so between – I started assessing who he was before I – he actually mattered.

Rachel was a young woman with a strong faith in Christ. She describes growing up in her home.

My life centered around Bethel AME Church. My mother was very, very protective and we were not allowed to go very far unchaperoned. But we could go to church anytime, day or night and hopefully, that’s where we were going on her part. And so we would go to church, Bethel. I sang in the choir; I later on began to teach Sunday School until I got to college and so the church was the center of our life for all social things as well as for religious services and that kind of thing.

She met Jack at UCLA when she was a freshman and he was a senior. Jack was the big man on campus and starred in football, basketball, track and baseball. A relationship began but Rachel didn't want to get married until she graduated from nursing school, which led to a five year engagement!

Rachel's father wasn't thrilled with Jackie at first, but her mother approved.

My mother on the other hand was very enthusiastic. She was all very excited and she thought he’s a Christian man; she knows he goes to – he goes to church, he talked about he always prays and he – his spiritual beliefs were there for everybody to examine, he was very close to his church. His best friend was Carl Downs who was the Reverend in his church and so she thought he was ideal in – in every way and had great prospects and she – the only thing she complained about, at the dinner table he told her that he didn’t eat vegetables; that he only ate potatoes and sometimes a tomato. And so she said, “Well, I don’t know how he’s going to manage, you know” and she knew that I was – I’m a – vegetables and fruits and you know, a healthnik and all that. And how are you going to make out with this man that just eat meat and potatoes, you know?

Here is what Rachel has to say about her goal orientation.

I always had five year plans. From the time I was ten years old I had five year plans. I really did. And they, you know, and they give you a sense of direction and – and things to strive for and you know what steps you have to take and I’ve been doing that all my life.

Rachel's sense of direction and purpose has led to many accomplishments in her own right. She became a psychiatric nurse at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, The Director of Nursing at Connecticut Mental Health Center, and Associate and an Assistant Professor in Clinical Psychiatry at Yale School of Nursing.

Today, Rachel describes herself as "an energetic, loving, caring person who's deeply spiritual." She said that she and Jack were "the perfect match." They were true team mates. Jackie's work is finished, Rachel's continues on. Their lives are intertwined by their shared passion to make a difference.

Jackie Robinson said that "A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." Our world is better today because of the courage and commitment of Jackie and Rachel Robinson. As far as we have come, there is much left to do. There are goals to strive for and dreams yet to reach. But until that day, we remember our Jesus who has washed our sin away. Oh happy day!