Ken Burns:"Jackie Robinson is a true, authentic hero because he is complex." - a podcast by Dave Zirin / The Nation

This week, we have the most acclaimed historical documentary filmmaker on earth, Ken Burns. He made ‘Baseball’ and ‘Jazz,’ and now we talk to Burns about his  new two-part PBS documentary 'Jackie Robinson.' It's a powerful back-and-forth about the actuality of Robinson's complicated legacy that goes beyond puff-pieces and Hollywood-myth-making. Burns connects Robinson's struggle to the #BlackLivesMatter movement, Trump, and the warmed over racism that infuses the modern Republican Party. In our ‘Choice Words’ segment, Dave speaks in detail about one of the unsung heroes of Robinson's journey, radical sports journalist Lester Rodney. And for the ‘Just Stand Up Award,’ the loudest possible solidarity with the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team and they push for far wages and equality.PBS Ken Burns film “Jackie Robinson” premieres April 11-12, 2016. Information: http://pbs.org/jackierobinsonKen Burns website: http://kenburns.com twitter: http://twitter.com/kenburnsZirin: “More than a Sportswriter: Lester 'Red' Rodney: 1911-2009” http://www.commondreams.org/views/2009/12/23/more-sportswriter-lester-red-rodney-1911-2009http://edgeofsportspodcast.com | http://twitter.com/edgeofsports | http://fb.com/edgeofsportspod | email us: edgeofsports@slate.comMusic: Jazz by Lee Ho Jun https://soundcloud.com/lee-ho-jun-573335801


Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Further episodes of Edge of Sports

Further podcasts by Dave Zirin / The Nation

Website of Dave Zirin / The Nation