As the saying goes, the news never stops — but there’s a lot of it out there, and all of it doesn’t always pertain to our readers. In this weekly news roundup, we’ll cover the top news stories that matter most to our diversity focused audience.
1. MLB Celebrates Jackie Robinson Day, Expanding Diversity
Major League Baseball will celebrate diversity and opportunity for all on Friday with its annual observance of Jackie Robinson Day. Robinson fought for opportunity when he became the first Black man to play in MLB with the Brooklyn Dodgers 75 years ago. Jackie Robinson Day has been celebrated annually on April 15 since 2004.
Diversity has increased in the sport since Robinson’s time. In 2022, there are 975 players on the MLB Opening Day roster and inactive list, and 38% are players from diverse backgrounds (Black, Latino, Asian, Pacific Islander and Native American), which is a slight increase from 2021 when 37.6% of MLB players were from diverse backgrounds.
