POTUS and First Lady with Rachel Robinson at movie screening of "42" in WH

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tweeted by, petesouza@petesouza
Photo of POTUS w Rachel Robinson before movie screening of "42" in WH family theater pic.twitter.com/HzgsP5S0o4




excerpt from remarks by the First Lady today at "42" Film Workshop:

____ I want to pay special thanks to a woman that I am totally in awe of. And I’m not going to get emotional. I’m going to say that now, because I can tend to get emotional. But she’s a woman of strength, of courage, conviction; a woman who paved the way for me, but she paved the way for millions of Americans all across this country. We have with us Mrs. Rachel Robinson.

And this is what a beautiful woman looks like. She is a proud 90-years-old, and I’m telling you that because she told me she’s proud of it. (Laughter.) And I told her she wouldn’t have to tell anybody how old she was because she doesn’t look a day over 40 (laughter) -- beautiful, and smart, and gifted, and graceful . . .

Yes, Jackie Robinson certainly was a tremendous athlete, but he was so much more than that. He bravely served in our Armed Forces. He attended college at UCLA. He competed as hard as he could at everything he did so that his gifts wouldn’t go to waste. And Rachel Robinson was in every way his equal, ladies -- in every way his equal. She made her education a priority. She worked hard in school. She eventually became a nurse.





So Jackie and Rachel Robinson weren't destined for greatness -- they prepared themselves for greatness, which meant that they could make a difference outside of baseball, as well. And that is the only thing that is important for you to understand. You can be great in your profession, you can earn a lot of money, you can be famous, but the question is what are you doing for others.

After he retired, Jackie Robinson became a leader in the Civil Rights Movement working with Dr. King, the NAACP. He helped to start a bank to help other minorities start their own small businesses and to own their own homes. And after his death, Mrs. Robinson carried on that legacy by starting the Jackie Robinson Foundation, which has provided college scholarships and training and career opportunities for more than 1,400 underserved students. In fact, I know that we have a few Jackie Robinson scholars here today who are studying at Howard, and Georgetown, and Yale, and Brown, and even my alma mater, Princeton -- righteous. (Laughter.)

And I have seen the quality of these scholars firsthand because one of my personal assistants, little Kristin Jones, was a Jackie Robinson scholar in 2003. And I was couldn’t be more impressed by the work that she has done and the young woman that she has become -- very proud of you. And more than anything else, that is Jackie Robinson’s legacy -- opening up a whole new world of opportunities to young people like Kristin and every single one of you here today.

And that's why it was so important for me to have all of you here for this event. We intentionally did this. Now, we’re going to have a screening for a bunch of fancy people somewhere later on down the line, but we wanted to be here with you. Because this isn’t just about watching a wonderful movie about an important moment in history, this is about helping all of you believe that you can write your own history . . .


read more: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/04/02/remarks-first-lady-42-film-workshop


In July, Rachel Robinson will be ……. 91. (more pics)


Following a welcome from First Lady Michelle Obama, 80 high school and college students from across the country participated in an interactive student workshop with the cast and crew of the film "42."

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1. kick

Last edited Wed Apr 3, 2013, 09:40 AM - Edit history (1)

[Cha]

2. Thank you bigtree.. will read and watch a

little later!

[Tarheel_Dem]

3. Bookmarking. What a beautiful lady. Thanks. nt

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4. Jackie signs with the Dodgers