VERO BEACH — A new Florida Historical Marker recognizing the connection between baseball and the civil rights movement will be unveiled Nov. 8 at the site of the former Dodgertown nine-hole golf course.
The dedication ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. at the corner of 43rd Avenue and Aviation Boulevard in Vero Beach, according to the Indian River County Historical Society, which partnered with Indian River County and the Jackie Robinson Training Complex on the project.
“The historical marker is being installed on the former Dodgertown 9-hole golf course, a site rich in both sports and civil rights history. Now owned by Indian River County, the property has been transformed to include a scenic walking trail and will soon host a centerpiece community park,” said Michael Zito, Indian River County deputy administrator.
“In 1965, during the era of segregation, Brooklyn Dodgers President Walter O’Malley purchased the land and privately constructed the Dodgertown Golf Club so that all players, regardless of race, had access to recreational facilities,” said Rachelle Madrigal, vice president of the Jackie Robinson Training Complex.
“At the time, there were only two local courses in Indian River County, and both were private. Mr. O’Malley wanted all players to have access to the same recreational opportunities but interestingly, despite becoming a local legend, Jackie Robinson never played on this nine-hole course because his last spring training at Dodgertown was in 1956,” said Indian River County historian Ruth Stanbridge.
Dodgertown and the former nine-hole course are recognized by the U.S. Department of the Interior as part of the United States Civil Rights Trail. The site is nationally significant for its role in the Brooklyn Dodgers’ efforts to integrate professional sports. The team’s 1947 signing of Jackie Robinson broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier and helped advance equality in athletics.
“Sports have always been a unifying force in our society,” said Zito. “This marker not only honors our community’s connection to baseball history but also recognizes the role sports played in advancing civil rights,” said Jonnie Mae Perry of the Indian River County Historical Society.
The Historical Society launched the local Florida Historical Marker Program in the 1990s and has since installed 38 markers documenting sites of local and national importance. The new Baseball & Civil Rights marker was funded through a grant secured by the Historical Society, using county bed tax revenues with support from the Tourism Development Council and the County Commission.
Parking for the Nov. 8 ceremony will be available off Aviation Boulevard near the former golf building. The public is invited to attend. More information about the county’s historical markers can be found here.