Page 9 - Jackie Robinson: Entrepreneur
P. 9
Jackie greeting teammates Monte Irvin (left) and Joe Black (right) as well as diplomat
Ralph Bunche and his son, Ralph, Jr. at the grand opening of the Jackie Robinson
Clothing Store in 1952.
Courtesy of Cecil Layne, Layne’s Studio
Aware of the predatory relationship of many businesses to their black customers, in
December 1952 Robinson opened the Jackie Robinson Store, a retail clothing shop that
he had hoped would give black shoppers the dignity they rarely received in many white
retail stores. Despite good intentions, the venture did not go well, as Robinson learned
about both the economic realities of blacks in Harlem and the effects his
public persona could have on business. He sold after six years. Jack Roosevelt Robinson: Entrepreneur 7
