No man who ever stepped foot on a baseball field carried more expectations or faced more animosity than Jackie Robinson. The awesome weight Jackie carried on his shoulders by breaking the color barrier directly contributed to his early death in 1972. Following his retirement from baseball after the 1956 season, Robinson was still very active when it came to social issues, especially in terms of race relations.

By 1968 the United States was a country in turmoil as President Lyndon Johnson did not seek re-election and there were a series of high-profile assassinations – including civil rights leader Martin Luther King and presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy. In September of 1968, this undated letter was handwritten by Jackie Robinson and sent to a person named Ken Browne. The letter was a response to a previous letter that Browne apparently sent to Jackie regarding then the Republican nominee for president Richard Nixon.

The letter reads:              

“Dear Ken Browne, Thanks for your letter. I appreciate your interest and sincerity. No, Ken, I am not wrong re Nixon – I am sure if you were Black you could better understand why we feel as we do. How can you expect to to support a man who appeals to the old south and to backlash. America is already in terrible shape in terms of race relations. Nixon deals with Strom Thurmond points to future dangers. I wish you had  a copy of Drew Pearson’s column headlined Thurmond and the High Court. He states Nixon and Thurmond met on June 1 at the Riviera Hotel in Atlanta, Ga. made a deal giving Thurmond (page 2) an agreement that if elected he would appoint future Supreme Court justices agreeable to the south. Pearson said “in effect giving Thurmond the right to pass on all court appointments just as he passed on vice presidential candidates in Miami. He said most surprising is the public has not yet been reminded of Thurmonds remarkable record which date back to 1948 when he led a southern walkout after Humphrey forced adoption of a civil rights (sic) for the first time in history. How can you in light of what appears to be a sincere letter believe a man so qualified would make deals with one of the countries worst people – Strom Thurmond. Again my thanks nice to have heard from you. Sincerely, Jackie Robinson”

The letter was handwritten on 7 ¼ x 8 ½-inch white paper with “JACKIE ROBINSON” printed on the top. The letter can be dated to mid-September 1968 based on the postmark dates on the included 4 x 9 ½-inch mailing envelope. This letter has a postmark of “17 SEP 1968 STAMFORD, CONN” and a postmark “MESA SEP 17’68 ARIZ.”. The envelope was addressed to “Mr. Ken Browne 35 E. Mohoney Ave, Mesa, Arizona. The back of the envelope has “JACKIE ROBINSON” printed on the top. The letter is in good condition, displaying on minor toning and crease folds. The envelope is also in good condition with the only noticeable damage coming from it being opened. This is truly a wonderful insight from one of the pioneers of the civil rights movement. This signed and handwritten letter comes with a LOA from Steve Grad of Beckett Authentication (A07875) for Robinson’s signature and the hand writing.

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