IS THERE A COMMON THEME THROUGHOUT ALL
YOUR WORK?
>> YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT AMERICAN QUESTION OF FREEDOM,
THE TENSION BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM AND COLLECTIVE FREEDOM
SAY BIG ONE.
BUT FOR ME I THINK THE SUB THEME OF AMERICAN HISTORY IS RACE.
WE WERE FOUNDED ON THE IDEA THAT ALL MEN WERE CREATED EQUAL AM
BUT THE GUY WHO WROTE THAT OWNED MORE THAN A HUNDRED HUMAN BEINGS
AND DIDN'T SEE FIT IN HIS LIFETIME TO FREE ANY ONE OF
THEM.
DIDN'T SEE THE CONTRADICTION OF THE HYPOCRISY.
SO IT SET US ON A JOURNEY THAT IS CONSTANTLY HAVING TO STRUGGLE
NOT ONLY WITH RACE BUT RACISM.
LOOK WHAT IS GOING ON NOW.
WE HAVE A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE WHO TAKES TWO DAYS TO WINK WINK,
REMEMBER TO DISAVOW AN ASSOCIATION WITH DAVID DUKE OF
KU KLUX KLAN AND THAT, YOU KNOW, TELLING YOU HOW MUCH IS STILL
THERE.
>> Stephen: WELL, THE NEW DOCUMENTARY IS JACKIE ROBINSON.
(APPLAUSE) IT'S ABOUT JACKIE ROBINSON WHO
WAS THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN BASEBALL PLAYER IN THE WHITE A
MAJOR LEAGUES.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> Stephen: IT WAS ALREADY THE NEGLECT RO LEAGUES.
WHY IS JACKIE ROBINSON'S STORY AN IMPORTANT ONE TO TELL.
>> THIS FILM THAT WE JUST FINISHED T SAY SMALL FIM, TWO
PART, FOUR HOUR, NOT THE BIG LONG ONE, IT WILL BE OUT MONDAY
AND TUESDAY I MADE WITH SARAH BURNS AND DAVID McMA HON AND
THEY DESEARCH EQUAL CREDIT.
THEY ARE COPRODUCERS AND CODIRECTORS.
WE TREATED HIM IN OUR 1994 BASEBALL SERIES AND IT WAS AN
IMPORTANT PART OF THAT SERIES.
BUT JACKIE ROBINSON, LIKE GEORGE WASHINGTON, ABRAHAM LINCOLN IS
SMOTHERED IN MYTHOLOGY.
WE THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE TO LIBERATE HIM FROM THE
SENTIMENTALITY THAT ATTACH AND TRY TO FREE HIM BECAUSE WHAT
JACKIE HAS TO TEACH US NOW IS ALMOST WHAT IS GOING ON.
THE BIBLE SAY THERE IS NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN.
THAT MEANS HUMAN NATURE DOESN'T CHANGE.
IT JUST SUPERIMPOSES IT SELF ON THESE RANDOM CHAOS OF THE EVENTS
OR SEEMINGLY RANDOM CHAOS OF THE EVENTS.
SO JACKIE IS TALKING ABOUT CON FED RATE PLAQUE FLAGS, TALKING
ABOUT DRIVING STOPPED WHILE DRIVING, TALKING ESSENTIALLY
ABOUT BLACK LIVES MATTER, SO IF WE ARE CURIOUS BUT ARE NOT
COMFORTABLE TALKING TODAY HAVING A COURAGEOUS KRVETION ABOUT
RACE, LET'S LOOK AT JACKIE ROBINSON'S LIFE AND SEE HOW MANY
OF THE SAME TROPES THAT ARE PART OF OUR LIFE TODAY ON TODAY'S
HEADLINES JACKIE ADDRESSES.
AND THEN YOU REALIZE HOW IMPORTANT THE ACTION IS.
THE MOST PORPT PERSON IN BASEBALL, AND THE MOST IMPORTANT
PERSON IN AMERICAN SPORT.
>> Stephen: AND A GREAT PLAYER.
>> HALL OF FAME.
NO, NO, YOU COULD ARGUE THAT HE IS NOT THE GREATEST BASEBALL
PLAYER BUT HE'S THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON WHO HAS THEIR
NUMBER RETIRE TIRED IN ALL 30 STADIUMS.
NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO WEAR THE NUMBER 42 EXCEPT A WEEK FROM
FRIDAY WHEN EVERYONE FROM THE BAT BOY TO THE MANAGER TO THE
STAR PITCHER, THE GUY SITTING ON THE BENCH ON BOTH TEAMS IN EVERY
STADIUM IN EVERY GAME THEY WEAR THE NUMBER 42 BECAUSE HE DIDN'T
IN THIS MEDIA CULTURE, DIDN'T JUST TALK THE TALK.
HE WALKED THE WALK.
AND EF REEF DAY HE GOT UP AND SAID I WISH TO MAKE THE LIVES OF
OTHER PEOPLE BETTER.
AND THAT IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS TELL A
MORE COMPLETE STORY WITH SARAH BURNS AND MAIK McMA HON AND I
WANTED TO DO IS ONCE YOU STRIPPED IT OF THE
SENTIMENTALITY AND NOSTALGIA YOU HAVE A COMPLICATED DIMENSIONAL
PERSON.
>> Stephen: YOU WERE ABLE TO TALK TO HIS WIFE BECAUSE SHE IS
STILL ALIVE.
>> RACHEL ROBINSON IS ALMOST 94.
SHE HAS ALL OF HER MASH EMS AND SOME OF MINE AND I WANT THEM
BACK.
AND SHE IS ONE OF THE MOST-- .
>> Stephen: PART OF HIS GREATNESS.
>> I DON'T THINK.
SHE IS CENTRAL TO IT I MEAN WE HAD THE GREAT GOOD FORTUNE TO
CERTIFICATE VIEW THE PRESIDENT AND FIRST LADY AND YOU REALIZE
THEY WERE TWO COUPLES HURDLING THROUGH DIFFERENT TIMES AND
SPACES BUT THIS IS A BLACK MAN WHO WENT THROUGH A DOOR THAT NO
OTHER BLACK HAND HAD GONE THROUGH BEFORE.
>> Stephen: WE ACTUALLY HAVE A CLIP OF THAT RIGHT NOW.
JIM.
>> MR..
>> TO MONTREAL TO SEE JACKIE AND HIS FIRST YEAR IN THE MINORS.
AND HE HAPPENED TO SIT IN AN AREA WHERE THE WIFES WERE.
RACHEL WAS IN WILL GROUP.
WHEN BUZZIE SAW HER, LISTENED IT HER AND REALIZED SHE HERSELF WAS
A COLLEGE GRADUATE AND VERY INTELLIGENT, VERY CLASSY PERSON,
HE WENT BACK AND SAID TO MR. RICKY, IF JACKIE WAS SMART
ENOUGH TO PICK HER FOR HIS WIFE, HE'S THE GUY YOU WANT.
>> THERE'S NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN FAMILY, THAN A
REAL PARTNERSHIP.
WHICH IS PROBABLY WHAT MADE HIM SUCH A GREAT MAN.
BECAUSE HE HAD THE JUDGEMENT TO FIND A PARTNER THAT, I THINK
THAT IS TRUE.
I THINK THAT IS A SIGN OF HIS CHARACTER, THAT HE CHOSE A WOMAN
THAT WAS HIS EQUAL.
I DON'T THINK WE HAVE HAD JACKIE ROBINSON WITHOUT RACHEL.
>> Stephen: THAT'S BEAUTIFUL.
>> IT'S BEAUTIFUL.
>> Stephen: THAT'S BEAUTIFUL.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: IT'S REAL.
>> IT IS COMPLETELY REAL.
THEY'RE SO-- THIS MAY BE THE MOST POWERFUL COUPLE ON EARTH
BUT THEY'RE SO HONEST AND TRANSPARENT AND THERE'S NOT A
COUPLE ON EARTH THAT DOESN'T GO, YOU KNOW THAT MOMENT WHEN YOU
HAVE TO SAY, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, DEAR.
>> YES, DEAR.
>> Stephen: THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: ALWAYS GREAT TO SEE YOU.
JACKIE ROBINSON APPEARS APRIL 11th ON PBS.