Tribute to Jackie Robinson

Through he was never a player in the Philadelphia Phillies, Jackie Robinson helped diminish the color line in major league baseball. This iconic mural was inspired by news photographs of Robinson stealing home in the World Series, as well as the black and white racial divisions that Robinson helped overcome.

McShane created his design from several different newspaper photos of Robinson. In the original photo, Robinson had his head down and his face shaded by his baseball cap. McShane found another photo, with the face looking up, and used that instead. McShane used an image showing Robinson with his fist raised in the air to symbolize the African American player’s extraordinary achievements in breaking the color barrier in baseball.

The wall is painted entirely in black, grays, and white, reminiscent of newspaper photos. McShane chose the colors as a reminder of the black and white divisions that Robinson helped overcome when he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.

By placing a border around the picture, McShane allows the figure of the great player to break out of the black-and-white background into the future.