WASHINGTON, D.C. — APRIL 13, 2017 — On Friday, April 14, NewsOne Now Host and Managing Editor Roland S. Martin will dedicate the programming of the day’s show to honoring Jackie Robinson, the first African American baseball player to play in the major leagues. The show airs on the eve of Jackie Robinson Day, signified by having every major league baseball player wear jerseys with the number 42, Robinson’s number when he played with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

On Friday, Martin’s show will feature interviews with major league baseball legend Hank Aaron, who played in the major leagues for 23 seasons and for three decades held the record for most home runs ever hit, at 715; Rev. Jesse Jackson, who delivered the eulogy at Robinson’s funeral; and Negro Leagues historian Larry Lester, who is also a founder of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City.

During the course of his 10-year career in baseball, Robinson made six trips to the World Series, won the National League Rookie of the year, and won the league MVP award in 1949. He was the first African American to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962, and was also a tireless advocate for civil rights. He served as a board member of the NAACP, and helped establish the Freedom National Bank to help minority business owners receive loans. In 1972, the Dodgers retired his uniform number, and in 1997 the number was retired throughout the entire Major League Baseball organization.