Jackie Robinson statue at MCU Park vandalized
Hate Graffiti Reported
The well-known statue of Jackie Robinson and Pee Wee Reese in MCU Park at Coney Island, home of the Brooklyn Cyclones, was vandalized with hate graffiti late Tuesday or early Wednesday.
The statue, meant to symbolize brotherhood, was created by sculptor William Behrends in 2005. It commemorates an incident in Robinson’s rookie year, 1947, when Reese, who was Robinson’s teammate on the Brooklyn Dodgers, walked onto the infield and put his arm around Robinson in a gesture of friendship.
At the time, Robinson was being subjected to racist catcalls and threats on a regular basis. The incident is re-enacted in the recent film about Robinson, “42.”