Often, historical figures survive in our cultural memory as symbols rather than fully realized individuals. An overarching legacy sometimes ends up obscuring a body of distinct achievements, leaving us with a clear view of the forest but little sight of the trees. Jackie Robinson, it seems, may have been fearful of this happening to his legacy when he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, in 1962. At that time, Robinson requested that his induction plaque focus exclusively on his statistics and record as a baseball player. He…
