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To celebrate Jackie Robinson Day, the Detroit Tigers hosted a "Breaking Barriers" educational panel at Comerica Park for local teenage athletes. The educational panel featured a diverse group of Detroit sports professionals from the Lions, Pistons, Motor City Cruise and Ilitch Sports + Entertainment, providing background on their careers and the path they took to become successful.
This season, the Tigers were on the road on Jackie Robinson Day (April 15), so the team celebrated when it returned to Detroit on April 17. As part of the activation, 42 Detroit high school athletes – many of them baseball and softball players – were invited to Comerica Park to attend a panel discussion. In the spirit of educating youth on Jackie Robinson’s nine values (courage, determination, commitment, persistence, integrity, justice, teamwork, citizenship, and excellence), panelists discussed their careers and the influence Jackie – and other individuals that they know – have had on their development personally and professionally.
The panel took place at Comerica Park and featured the following panelists: China Jude – President, Business Operations, Motor City Cruise; Danard LeNoir – Manager, Video Content Production, Ilitch Sports + Entertainment; Elandra McConney – Director of Retail, Ilitch Sports + Entertainment; Darren Johnson – Senior Director, Safety & Security, Detroit Lions; Stefen Welch – Vice President, Public Affairs, Detroit Pistons; and Donte Rolley Williams – Partnership Engagement Coordinator, Detroit Pistons.
Prior to the panel, attendees were invited to watch batting practice, and following the panel, several former Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholars– Shani Allison, Alexis Dishman, Terrell Hemphill, Tolulope Sonuyi, and Lauren Sinclair – were recognized during a pregame ceremony.
View a recap video here:
